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Pending Healthcare Legislation
In January of 2008, the second or “short” session of the 123rd Legislature will convene. Some bills will be carried over from last session and have already been assigned LD numbers. Others will be proposed as Emergency Legislation and may be given LD numbers and assigned to a Committee for review. MPA will be following the progress of many bills this session, including the legislation described below.
LD 1072: An Act To Establish a Single-payer Health Care System
Sponsored by Rep. Paulette Beaudoin
Originally, this bill sought to establish the Maine Health Care Plan to provide security through high-quality, affordable health care for the people of the state. As amended, the bill will update the single-payer feasibility study done by Mathematica in 2002. MPA believes that a universal single-payer health care system is the ultimate solution to Maine’s healthcare crisis and believes updating the Mathematica study an important step in our single-payer campaign.
LD 1294: An Act To Establish a Health Care Bill of Rights
Sponsored by Rep. Sharon Treat
This bill makes changes to the laws regulating individual and small group health plans to give patients more rights by regulating insurance company practices and placing greater controls on insurer profits and the rate-setting process. MPA supports this bill.
Key bills that MPA will work to DEFEAT
LD 1760: An Act To Restore Competition to Maine’s Health Insurance Market, sponsored by Rep. Donald Pilon
LD 1047: An Act To Lower the Cost of Health Insurance, sponsored by Rep. Michael Vaughan
These bills attempt to establish a version of high-risk insurance pools, which are state-subsidized coverage for people insurance companies decide to exclude, usually due to preexisting conditions or age. Insurance companies love high-risk pools because they shift the responsibility of caring for the sick onto taxpayers and the state, leaving them to cover the people least likely to need medical care and allowing them to make even more excessive profits.
Join us in the campaign for universal single-payer health care
MPA members meet regularly to plan our healthcare campaign. If you'd like to get involved, call Jenny at 797-0967.