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Join the CAHC
Coalition!
Want to join the 40+ other organizations
and individuals who are part of the Consumers for
Affordable Health Care
Coalition?
Click here for more
information. Or email Valerie Clark.
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CAHC
Educating and Reaching out to
Mainers
February's
MaineCare workshop was nearly a full-house in
Waterville. The all day class reviewed several changes
to Medicaid policy since last year. The participants
actively engaged in discussions about how to best assist
people that are potentially eligible for MaineCare, and
were put on alert to watch for the change to the Federal
Poverty. Click here for more
detail. |
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Confused About Health Reform? Ask a Doctor
about It
The complexities of health care
reform have created confusion among the general public.
Because the issue has generated so much political double
talk, people do not know who to believe and do not
understand what health reform will do. Doctors for
America is launching a new site where people
can ask doctors questions about reform and read answers
to questions others have already asked.
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Free Media Training On Health
Care Reform
We
periodically hold health care and coverage media
trainings. They will give you more information about why
national and state health care reform is important and
how you can be more active in getting the message out
through media and other venues. If you are
interested in attending any of these trainings, please
email Cherilee.
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Interesting
Facts
According to a
Pricewaterhouse Coopers study, every year between
20,000-25,000 people on employer sponsored insurance
plans hit their lifetime caps. That number is likely
higher if you consider people who buy their own
insurance too-especially since the plans made available
to individuals are often a less comprehensive, more
expensive product than what employers are able to
provide.
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Public Hearing on Bill to Remove
Lifetime & Annual Caps from Health
Insurance Policies Draws Big
Crowd
 The Public Hearing
on LD 1620, "An Act to Protect Health Care
Consumers from Catastrophic Medical Debt," was
held Wednesday, February 3rd in the Insurance and
Financial Services Committee (Room 427) at the
State House. It was standing room only as the
bipartisan bill received support from policy
holders, doctors, small business owners,
legislators from both sides of the aisle and
various voluntary health organizations. Read rest of story here.
See Some of the Media
Coverage of this:
Portland Press Herald
Editorial
Pictured Above: Theresa D'Andrea
testifies in favor of LD 1620 before the Insurance
and Financial Services Committee.
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Anthem &
Mega Rate Hike Public Comment Session Draw Big
Crowds and Bigger Anger
The
requests by Mega Life and Health Insurance and
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to raise their rates
is raising eyebrows and anger across the state.
Hundreds of people have turned out for public
comment sessions in both Portland and
Bangor.
Mega is asking the
Bureau of Insurance to allow them to
raise rates an average of 21% on
its small group policies with maximum
increases of 33%. It's asking for increases
up to 25% on individual policies with average
increases of 12.5%. These increases would
affect nearly 8,000 policy holders. They are
set to take effect April 1,
2010.
Anthem wants to raise its
rates for people who buy their own
insurance too. Average
proposed increases for HealthChoice, HealthChoice
Standard and Basic, and Lumenos Consumer Directed
Health Plan products about 23%. At least
11,000 policy holders will be affected by
these rate hikes. Anthem requests that its
proposed rate revisions become effective on July
1, 2010. Read rest of story
here.
See Some of the Media Coverage of
This:
Wall Street Journal- Market
Watch
Bangor Daily
News
WMTW
WGME
WCSH |
Maine Campaign
for Better Care Continues Building
Momentum
The official kick off for
the Maine Campaign for Better Care is just around
the corner. The national Campaign is
designed to try and reform our health care system
by making sure the needs of patients and their
family caregivers are front and center in a new
health care system. We need to make sure
vulnerable older adults and others with multiple
chronic health conditions get the comprehensive,
coordinated, quality health care they need and
deserve.
Think you want to sign on to the
Campaign? Read more here! And if
you have a story to tell about the
well-coordinated care you received, or a situation
where things did not go so well, click here for our "share your
story"
form. |
CAHC in the
News
Dirigo Reaping
Record Savings, Maine Insurance Chief
Says
As heard on MPBN 2/23/10, reported by
Josie Huang
Insurance Superintendent Mila
Kofman affirmed that the state-sponsored Dirigo
insurance program and other efforts by the
Baldacci administration to bring down the cost of
health care have saved the state nearly $79
million. It's the highest amount of savings ever
determined. And administration officials say this
is confirmation that Dirigo and other initiatives
are doing a good job of controlling costs in the
four years that savings have been
measured...
Although the total savings
measured are the highest to date, Joe Ditre of
Consumers for Affordable Health Care, says that is
not to say that savings from past years were not
as big. "The agency has a process and procedure
that over the years has become much more focused
and the analytics are much better and that they
were able to identify savings with more
precision."
Listen to full story
here. |
CAHC's HelpLine is Giving Real
Help to
Maine
People
True Story:
A
young woman who lost MaineCare when she turned 21
called our HelpLine recently. She cannot afford to
pay for insurance out of pocket, but she has
epilepsy and if she does not take her medication
she will become unable to work. The medicine costs
$400 a month.
HelpLine staff discovered that
her regular doctor works at a health center which
offers sliding fee payments for patients.
This was news to our caller. She also did
not know that her health center offers
prescription assistance to their patients.
Many health centers across the state offer
sliding scale services, and it is always a good
idea to check with your doctor's office or our
toll free HelpLine at 1-800-965-7476 if you are
having trouble affording the health care you
need.
This HelpLine caller was greatly
relieved and felt like she actually had some
viable options after receiving this new
information. |
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If you liked the information
included in this newsletter, please forward it
along to others you think may be interested.
If you are interested in learning more about what
CAHC has been working on, or how we may be able to
help you in your health care or health coverage
matters, visit our Web
site.
Sincerely,
Communications
Coordinator | | |
