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(Portland) Consumers for
Affordable Health Care (CAHC) and the Maine Small
Business Coalition (MSBC) hosted a health care forum for
small business owners in Portland on Wednesday
evening. The event, which included a policy update
regarding federal and state legislation impacting small
businesses, provided Maine small business owners with a
comprehensive overview of a very complex issue.
The program also included a detailed presentation of
several insurance programs, like the Part Time Voucher
Program and the Pre-Existing Condition Plan offered
through the Dirigo Health Agency (DHA), and the small
business tax credits available through the Affordable
Care Act (ACA). The audience was able to ask
questions of the presenting panel, which consisted of
staff from the organizations hosting the forum.
Additionally, staff from all three 1st
District Congressional offices - Senators Olympia Snowe
and Susan Collins, and Representative Chellie Pingree -
were in attendance to observe and take notes of the
small business owners' concerns and problems with
insurance coverage.
"It's critical that Maine small
business owners understand what options are available to
them," said Nate Libby, the Director of the MSBC.
"Especially after the elimination of public input over
rate increases, a number of Coalition members have
expressed concern about how the new law will affect
their insurance policies."
"As
health care costs continue to increase, the burden
of those increases are ultimately borne by the
consumer. Both individuals and the employers
that contribute to their employees coverage are
shouldering this burden. With these increases
it's more important than ever for
employers to have as much information as
possible as they make decisions on health care
benefits," said Mitchell Stein, CAHC's Policy
Director. "Key pieces of
information for them to be aware of are that
DHA is open for business and continues to be a
viable option as they consider their needs, and that the
ACA has several provisions to address small business
needs."
Over the last two years, Anthem
and MegaLife have requested multiple premium rate
increases from their individual policyholders.
Both CAHC and MSBC played significant roles in turning
out small business owners, sole-proprietors, and other
individual policyholders for the rate review public
hearings, which took place in Orono, Portland, and
Gardiner. Thanks to Maine's rate review process,
those requests were significantly reduced and have saved
Maine consumers and small businesses millions of dollars
in the process. This health care forum was an
opportunity to educate small business owners on how new
legislation will affect them and their employees, and
what options are out there for them. For instance,
Public Law, Chapter 90 eliminates the Superintendant's
ability to review many rate increases, which means that
increases could be higher in the future and that
consumers wouldn't have an opportunity to have their
voices heard.
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