State wins $8.5M to insure more workers
Maine has been awarded $8.5 million to expand health care coverage for uninsured residents over the next five years.
Funded under the new State Health Access Program under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the grant will be used in Maine to provide affordable health insurance to part-time, seasonal and direct-care workers in firms with more than 50 employees, according to a release from Gov. John Baldacci's office. The state is also eligible for another $8.5 million over each of the next four years, for a total of $42.5 million.
The workers will be able to enroll in July 2010 through the Dirigo Health Agency to receive vouchers for private insurance offered by their employers. A special plan will be developed next year for other seasonal and part-time workers who do not have access to health insurance at work, the release states.
Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of the federal DHHS, announced the grant Thursday while lobbying in Maine for overhauling the nation's health care system. The grant requires a 20% match unless a state demonstrates financial hardship, according to a release from her office.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments