|
(Augusta) Consumers
for Affordable Health Care (CAHC), the largest health care consumer
advocacy group in Maine, today announced its Consumer Assistance
Program totals for calendar year 2011. Not only did the CAP
HelpLine staff receive over 2300 phone calls, a 4% increase from 2010,
but there was an 8% increase of all incoming and outgoing calls, 5305
in total, that were needed to resolve callers' issues. The
increase of outgoing calls can be attributed to the ever-growing
complexity of insurance questions throughout the year. People can
call the statewide, toll-free hotline number (1-800-965-7476) for
assistance in trying to navigate through the private and public
insurance programs. There is also a staff attorney available to
assist consumers in appealing denied claims.
"Obviously a lot of
people had questions about their insurance coverage or how they could
gain access to coverage. 2011 was a difficult year for many
Mainers, either people who lost their job or lost their insurance for
various reasons, came to us for solutions," said CAHC Consumer
Assistance Program (CAP) Manager Jaime D'Errico. "Our qualified
staff was very diligent in helping guide people towards the programs
that best suited each caller's unique situation."
CAHC has operated a
HelpLine since 1997. Beginning in October of 2010, the functions
of and the number of Mainers the HelpLine could assist were augmented
by a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA created
and funded CAPs to help assist consumers in the following ways; the
CAP:
·
Performs outreach and education regarding consumers' rights and
responsibilities
under their health insurance contracts;
·
Offers a Toll-Free Consumer HelpLine to answer questions about health
insurance
coverage and/or make referrals to appropriate organizations and
agencies for help;
·
Assists consumers with health insurance enrollment;
·
Files complaints, appeals, and grievances regarding claim denials;
·
Develops and coordinates databases to identify and track harmful
practices and trends in
the
Maine health insurance market; and
·
Informs consumers and small businesses about the availability of health
coverage tax
credits under the Affordable Care Act.
The CAP grant was based on
each awardee's state population and was awarded to a state
agency. In Maine, the Maine Office of the Attorney General
received the grant and they contracted with CAHC to operate the program
and provide the services. Maine received one the lowest grant
amounts of the $29 million appropriated nationwide, with an award of
only $150,000. Since the grants were awarded in October 2010, no
additional funding has been allocated for the CAP and funding is
expected to dry up by March 2012. Additional funding is essential
to the operation of the CAP, in particular the legal investigative work
dealing with denied claims and the appeal process.
CAHC Executive Director Joe
Ditré and Public Relations Coordinator Greg White are in Washington,
D.C. this week to meet with Representatives Chellie Pingree and Michael
Michaud, in addition to staff of Senators Snowe and Collins, to discuss
funding options for the CAP. They are also meeting with lead
staff for the Chair of the U.S. House Labor-HHS Appropriations
Subcommittee. Last month CAHC wrote to each of the Members of the
Maine Congressional delegation requesting they support funding in
Fiscal Year 2013.
###
|
