New taxes to support Dirigo Care, the Maine state government’s attempt at providing “universal” health care, have so angered Maine residents that a coalition dedicated to repealing the tax increases was able to collect nearly twice as many signatures as required to put a repeal referendum on the state’s ballot this November.
Dirigo Care is being [...]
The debate surrounding the funding mechanism for Dirigo Care, the Maine state government’s attempt at providing “universal” health care, is not a new one.
Before the new law imposed taxes on health insurance claims and on goods such as beer, soda, wine, and tobacco (see “Maine Residents Angered by Expansion of Dirigo Health Care Subsidy,” page [...]
Many Mainers have more than just candidates to choose from at this time of year. For employees in companies that offer a health insurance benefit, November is usually the time of the year when they have to choose among a variety of health insurance plan options to go into effect in 2009.
Many Maine companies offer [...]
HealthLeaders-InterStudy, a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that while malpractice insurance rates are low in Maine and physician services are in demand amid new construction projects, Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements are also low, complicating area physician recruitment efforts.
According to the new Portland, Maine, Market Overview, increasing numbers of Maine physicians are [...]
%26quot;Leading the Way? Maine’s Initial Experience in Expanding Coverage Through Dirigo Health Reforms,%26quot; Commonwealth Fund:The report examines progress that Maine’s Dirigo Health Reform Act,adopted in 2003, has made in making affordable health care coverageavailable to all state residents by 2009. The program aims to slowgrowth in health care costs and improve the quality of care. [...]
Legislationbeing considered by Mainelawmakers would place a 1.8% fixed annual fee on claims paid by health insurersto help fund the state’s DirigoChoice health insurance program, the PortlandPress Heraldreports. The program is expected to run out of funding in February 2009. Officialshad to cap enrollment last year because of costs. About 13,000 residents areenrolled in the [...]