Government

Maine's Dirigo enrollment slower than anticipated, watchdog group says

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 31, 2005

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

Maine Gov. John Baldacci announced earlier this month that 2,700 Maine residents would be signed up for the DirigoChoice health plan by Feb. 1, which he called a milestone for the program. "These are real people, real businesses and real coverage," he said. Dirigo Health is a state-subsidized program designed to expand affordable insurance options to small business and eventually individuals.

However, 2,700 represents only a fraction of the number of people who originally were projected to be enrolled in the plan by this time, according to a report from the Maine Heritage Policy Center. The current take-up rate does not bode well for the goal of having 31,000 participants in the program by the end of the year, according to the center's newsletter, DirigoWatch. The group claims Dirigo Health has proved too costly and too complex to be attractive to most small businesses.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/01/31/gvbf0131.htm.

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn