(Augusta) - Consumers for Affordable Health Care (CAHC) recently held a new type of workshop, with plans to hold more in the near future.

Attendees of the new Health Coverage Central Workshop on August 25th in Augusta learned about MaineCare eligibility and enrollment; non-insurance options such as hospital free and sliding-scale care; prescription assistance programs; and evaluating private insurance options in Maine.

Mary Schneckenburger, Senior Program Associate for the Consumer Assistance Program at CAHC, ran the workshop which expanded on CAHC's popular, long-standing MaineCare Eligibility Workshop. The workshop was capped at 30 attendees, ranging from DHHS MaineCare eligibility specialists to patient resource advocates at area hospitals and employees of fellow Maine non-profit organizations.
 

Attendee Valoree Berlan, a DHHS employee, said of the workshop, "I now feel comfortable to help screen our members for not just MaineCare but for all programs." 

Brenda Barker of the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, whose office is in Presque Isle said, "Great training, I'm glad I traveled down. The manual is so comprehensive, I keep it handy."

CAHC plans to hold a Health Coverage Central Workshop in Bangor in October and another in Portland in November, in addition to their previously scheduled MaineCare Eligibility Workshops.

For more information on CAHC's workshop schedule or if you'd like to join the mailing list and be notified of all upcoming workshops, please email Emily Blanck at eblanck@mainecahc.org.