(Augusta) On Friday Consumers for Affordable Health Care held their 2010 Annual Policy Strategic Planning Retreat for health care advocates.  They also invited Congressional staff, heads of state agencies, and state policy and lawmakers to hear the keynote address and partake in the expert panel discussion.  In her keynote address, the Region One U.S. DHHS Director, Christie Hager, praised the work Maine had done thus far in implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

"A productive partnership between HHS and the Maine advocacy community is already leading to benefits for thousands of Mainers as we work together to implement the Affordable Care Act," said Director Hager.  "The department looks forward to ongoing collaborations with state leaders who share our commitment to improving the health of Maine's communities."

Following Director Hager's remarks, an expert panel consisting of key state agency leaders and lawmakers further discussed implementation of the ACA, but more specifically how it pertains to public coverage, private coverage, health insurance exchanges, and other options for coverage.  The panel consisted of: Tony Marple, Director, Office of MaineCare Services; Robert Wake, General Counsel, Maine Bureau of Insurance; Karynlee Harrington, Executive Director, Dirigo Health Agency; and State Rep. Charlie Priest, Maine State Legislator.

"We are extremely fortunate in Maine to have state agencies and lawmakers that are engaged in the dialogue to implement the ACA on the state level," said Joe Ditré, Executive Director of CAHC.  "The implementation process is already underway, but we'll also be working on implementation for several years.  The ACA passed, but now is not the time to rest.  We have to continue to roll up our sleeves and keep supporting effective and consumer-friendly implementation at the state level."

In the afternoon, advocate attendees participated in a series of workshops on how best to implement new provisions of the Affordable Care Act over the next several years, as portions of the law take effect in different years.