Maine Governor on Health Care

Governor and Legislature Celebrate Health Care Accomplishments

June 10, 2009 -- AUGUSTA - Maine Governor John E. Baldacci was joined today by State legislators, health care providers, organizations and supporters of health reform to celebrate the significant progress that has been made this session to improve Maine’s health care system.

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Key initiatives that address cost, quality and access to health care have passed this session. Taken together, these bills will help advance the broad goals of the original Dirigo Health Reform to make affordable, quality health care available to all Mainers and to work to make Maine the healthiest state.

“This Legislature has shown its commitment to improving health care for all Maine people,” said Governor Baldacci. “I know there’s a lot more work to be done before this session ends, including a number of important health care bills, but I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize the outstanding leadership of the Maine Legislature and the many health care organizations that have worked so hard to ensure that Maine people have access to high quality, affordable health care.”

Governor’s bills on public health, medical error reduction and health care insurance, including DirigoChoice, were among the many celebrated today. The Governor has also recently signed legislation to reduce infections in hospital settings, establish medical school scholarships, enhance telemedicine services and to improve health care transparency. Several additional important bills are still being deliberated.

“We want hard-working families and businesses to prosper and thrive, and that simply is not possible without having access to health care that is affordable and of high quality,” said the Governor.

The Governor provided an outline of some key initiatives passed this session that address cost, quality and access to health care – the three pillars laid of the comprehensive Dirigo Health Reform law passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor in 2003.

Costs are being addressed by bills passed:

o promoting transparency (LD 724);

o expanding opportunities to reward patients who choose high-quality, high-value providers (LD 1397);

o making sure we have the equipment and new technology we need, but not more than we can afford (LD 1395); and

o supporting reforms for cost-effective care (LD 1444).

Quality is being addressed by:

o establishing a coordinated collaborative public health system that will launch the universal wellness plan funded with existing funds and savings from efficiencies (LD 1363);

o promoting patient-centered primary care delivery (LD 353); and

o taking steps to reduce medical errors and the risk of infection in Maine’s hospitals (LD 960, LD 1038 and LD 1435).

Access is being addressed by bills passed:

o supporting medical school scholarships (LD 353);

o retaining eligibility levels for MaineCare (LD 353);

o expanding telemedicine services (LD 1073);

o expanding federal COBRA subsidies for temporarily laid off workers in small firms (LD 1180); and

o stabilizing funding for DirigoChoice so the program can be redesigned to provide more affordable options in the marketplace and take advantage of federal funds (LD 1264).

“Maine has been recognized as a national leader in providing health care coverage for our people,” said the Governor. “We have achieved a lot this year; and we know that there is much more to do. I am hopeful that we will continue to take the opportunity to work together, because when we do, Maine people benefit.”

Source: Maine Governor