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(Augusta)
Consumers for Affordable Health Care today held a press
conference at Sagadahoc Stove Shop in Brunswick
highlighting affordable health insurance options such as
DirigoChoice, the Part-Time Employee Voucher Program,
and the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program (PCIP),
which are offered by DHA. Sagadahoc Stove Shop and
Consumers for Affordable Health Care (CAHC) are small
businesses that are enrolled in DirigoChoice.
Dr. Jaye
Weisman, the Boston Regional Administrator at the Center
for Medicare and Medicaid Services, spoke of the impact
PCIP has had for people with pre-existing conditions who
had been uninsured. Other speakers
included small business owner Kate Adams, who owns the
Brunswick-located Aging Excellence, and Sandy Maddocks,
a Brunswick resident who lacked health insurance
coverage for five years until she learned about
PCIP.
"The
Pre-Existing Condition Insurance program provides health
coverage to anyone with a pre-existing condition who has
been without coverage for six months and is funded
entirely by the federal government," Dr. Weisman
said. "The most important part of
this new federal program is the people it serves, Maine
residents like Sandy Maddocks who are enrolled in
it."
CAHC's
Executive Director, Joe Ditré, highlighted the
competitive rates and comprehensive benefits offered by
DHA compared to other carriers.
"Dirigo did not raise its individual rates at all
and increased its small group rates by only 2% in
2011. In this market, that is truly
remarkable considering the annual double digit increases
sought by DHA's competitors," said Ditré.
"We switched our coverage to DirigoChoice earlier
this year and saved over $8,000 in premiums and get
equivalent health benefits. It was a
win-win after switching to DHA."
Aging
Excellence, CAHC, and Sagadahoc Stove Shop are just
three of the over 580 Maine businesses enrolled in
either the DirigoChoice or Voucher Programs.
That number does not include sole proprietorship
businesses either. Nearly 15,000
Mainers receive their insurance coverage through
DHA.
The
Dirigo Health Agency (DHA) remains a viable option for
insurance coverage, even as it begins a transition to
eventually phase out by January 1, 2014.
However, the agency has been mentioned as a
possibility to operate the state insurance exchange
created by the Affordable Care Act, which would become
operational in 2014. DHA provides
coverage to thousands of Mainers who would otherwise not
have access to quality, affordable health
care. Many of these people are
hard-working Mainers struggling to provide for
themselves and their families.
For
a list of businesses enrolled in DirigoChoice or the
Voucher Program, please click here.
You
can find more information regarding DHA here.
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