WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW.

On Thursday, April 14th at 12:30 pm, the Insurance and Financial Services Committee of the Legislature will conduct a Public Hearing on 5 bills dealing with health care coverage in Maine.   These five bills, including a bill being called an "Omnibus Bill -- LD 1496," would severely deteriorate consumer protections in our current health care system, force older people and those with chronic illnesses or disabilities, including children, to pay much higher premiums and shift more health care costs onto consumers.

SPEAK OUT AGAINST THESE BILLS.

These bills (LDs 1496, 1168, 394, 898, and 1475) and LR 16 would eliminate community rating, eliminate guaranteed issuance/renewal, create high-risk pools, eliminate geographic access standards, eliminate all mandated benefits, reduce or eliminate pre-existing condition protections in the non-group market, eliminate the Certificate of Need Program, eliminate the State Health Plan, and impose a $250,000 cap on medical malpractice damage awards, among other things. 

THIS IS ONE DAY WE CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE.

These bills violate every one of Consumers for Affordable Health Care's Guiding Principles for Health Reform and do not represent the values we stand for in Maine. This is a serious threat to Maine's health care system that must be confronted head-on.  This bill has nearly 75 cosponsors, and we urge you to act today.

·          These legislative proposals will shift more costs to consumers, dismantle cost control mechanisms, require older people and adults and children with chronic illnesses or disabilities to pay higher premiums, create higher profits for insurers by avoiding risk, limit the use of preventative measures, and repeal consumer protections and benefits.

HOW CAN I HELP?

1)  SIGN ON TO THE ATTACHED LETTER

·          Please sign on to the attached letter to the Maine Legislature, which opposes all provisions contained within LD 1496.
·          Please email or call us with the name of the organization and/or contact person you want to be on the letter (email or call Jaime D’Errico at jderrico@mainecahc.org (email) or 207-622-7045 (phone)).

2)  Testify or Submit Testimony on April 14th at 12:30 pm

·          You or your organization can testify or submit written testimony on April 14th opposing LDs 1496, 1168, 394, 898, and 1475.
·          The public hearing will be held in the Insurance and Financial Service Committee (IFS) located on the 4th Floor of the State House in room 427.  If you testify or submit written testimony, please bring 20 copies of your testimony so the committee clerk can distribute to legislators on the IFS committee.

3)  Contact Legislators

·          Call or email members of the IFS committee and tell them that you are opposed to these bills and ask them to vote them out of committee "Ought Not To Pass"
·          If you live in the district of one of the legislators serving on the committee make sure you let them know.
·          You can call toll free and leave a message for any State Representative by calling 1-800-423-2900.
·          You can call toll free and leave a message for any State Senator by calling 1-800-423-6900.
·          See below for a list of legislators on the IFS Committee and how to find email addresses for legislators.

4)  Contact Family, Friends, and the Media

·          Please forward this email or any other relevant information to family and friends and ask them to oppose these bills.
·          Write a letter to the editor of your local paper to inform your neighbors about these proposals and encourage them to contact their local representatives in the State Legislature. 

HELPFUL INFORMATION 

·          Email addresses for Senate members: http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/homepage.htm
·          Email addresses for House members: http://janus.state.me.us/house/e_mail.htm
Find your Representative and Senator by location.  Contact information provided at http://janus.state.me.us/house/townlist.htm
·          The following members serve on the IFS committee:

Senator Nancy B. Sullivan (D-York), Chair

Senator Arthur F. Mayo III (D-Sagadahoc)

Senator Peter Mills (R-Somerset)

Representative Anne C. Perry (D-Calais), Chair

Representative Lisa T. Marraché (D-Waterville)

Representative John R. Brautigam (D-Falmouth)

Representative Charles William Harlow (D-Portland)

Representative Donald E. Pilon (D-Saco)

Representative Kevin J. Glynn (R-South Portland), Ranking Minority Member

Representative Michael A. Vaughan (R-Durham)

Representative R. Kenneth Lindell (R-Frankfort)

Representative Jonathan B. McKane (R-Newcastle)

Representative Wesley E. Richardson (R-Warren)

(see the following website for links to contact information for IFS Committee members: http://janus.state.me.us/house/jt_com/ban.htm)

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