A New Public Health Insurance Option for Mainers

Last week, Governor Mills announced that Maine will become one of the latest states to offer a statewide health insurance market under the Affordable Care Act. We’re here to answer your question about how it works and what it can do for you.

How do I enroll?

The state’s health insurance market will be accessible through CoverME.org. From November 1 through January 15, Mainers can compare affordable healthcare plans to see which coverage options work best for each individual, as well as determine whether they can get a lower-cost healthcare plan. CoverME.gov can also help determine if you or your family qualify for free or low-cost coverage from MaineCare or CubCare (the Children’s Health Insurance Program).

Is this an improvement over how we’ve gotten health insurance in the past?

Absolutely! For those who don’t qualify for state-sponsored health insurance like MaineCare or CubCare, CoverME gives Mainers an alternative to employer-sponsored healthcare that’s better tailored to the needs of our state. After millions lost their health insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic, this option can help the uninsured get the care they need.

What does this mean for Maine’s working families?

Access to a statewide health insurance market fills many of the coverage gaps in our current system. For people who don’t qualify for care under MaineCare or the ACA, or whose families aren’t covered under employer-specific insurance, CoverME is a great option for affordable healthcare.

Is there any financial assistance available?

Yes. Thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan (the federal government’s COVID-19 stimulus package for 2021), 80 percent of Mainers who choose coverage through CoverME will have access to some degree of financial aid. One in four Mainers using CoverME will be able to get health insurance for just $10 a month!

CoverME represents a massive step towards guaranteeing affordable healthcare for all Mainers. We applaud Governor Mills for her leadership and commitment to keeping Maine’s families safe and healthy.

Will Maine Ban Foreign Corporate Spending in Elections?

Maine could become one of the first states to close a massive campaign finance loophole.

Political contributions from foreign nationals are illegal in the US. But after the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision allowed unlimited money to flood our elections, foreign actors found a way to influence our elections through corporate contributions. Multinational corporations with partial foreign ownership, like Amazon and Uber, can spend money in our elections and therefore sidestep the ban on foreign interference. Just this year in Maine, the foreign-owned company Hydro-Quebec has taken advantage of this loophole to pour over $9.6 million into the CMP corridor referendum that will appear on the ballot next month.

Now Maine voters have the chance to close this loophole in state elections via a citizens’ referendum. The Protect Maine Elections committee is currently campaigning to get a question about foreign-influenced corporate spending on the 2022 ballot. Leading the committee are Democratic Representative Kyle Bailey of Gorham and Republican Senator Richard Bennett of Oxford.

"I think this is a unique issue that brings Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greens, [and] Libertarians together because despite our differences we all agree that our political system isn't working and that money is an issue, but in particular, that foreign governments and their subsidiaries shouldn't be involved in our elections," Rep. Bailey said. "Maine elections should be for Maine people."

This isn’t a new idea in Maine. During this past legislative session, the bill LD 194, “An Act To Prohibit Contributions, Expenditures and Participation by Foreign Government-owned Entities To Influence Referenda,” passed both the Senate and the House, but was vetoed by Governor Mills.

Maine also isn’t the only state exploring a ban on foreign-influenced corporate spending in elections. Massachusetts is actively considering legislation, and New York’s Senate passed a bill earlier this year (the bill is currently on hold in the House). Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, and Oregon are also examining such bans.

As Rep. Bailey so plainly put it, Maine elections are meant for Maine people. Our democracy should not be bought and sold by corporations, particularly those with full or partial foreign ownership, to benefit their shareholders at the expense of our state’s needs. Mainers for Working Families proudly supports a ban on foreign-influenced corporate spending in our elections.

Protect Maine Elections has until January to gather over 63,000 signatures. Petitioning begins in mid-October. To learn more about the campaign and volunteer to collect signatures, visit Protect Maine Elections’ Facebook page.

Maine's Legislative Maps Have Changed

Back in August, we learned from the U.S. Census results that Maine’s population grew by 34,000 people, primarily concentrated in the southern part of the state. A bipartisan advisory committee used this information to redraw the state’s legislative districts, a process that takes place every ten years. The Legislature and Governor Mills approved the new maps last Wednesday without too much fuss, making Maine the second state to finish its redistricting process. Here’s what’s changed:

54,000 Mainers have switched Congressional Districts.

13 towns in the Kennebec region, including Augusta, Chelsea, Farmingdale, Hallowell, Manchester, Readfield, and Winthrop, will move from the 1st Congressional District to the 2nd. Meanwhile, Albion, Benton, Clinton, Litchfield, Unity township, and West Gardiner will move from the 2nd District to the 1st. After a great deal of negotiating, Waterville will remain in the 1st Congressional District.

Bangor Daily News has a more detailed map you can search to find your town’s Congressional District.

Borders have shifted in Maine Senate Districts.

District 18, which covers Oxford County, has expanded to include part of northern Franklin County. District 17, meanwhile, now covers the rest of Franklin County and parts of Somerset County. Senate District 1 has also grown by nearly 4,000 people, with Chapman and Fort Fairfield shifting out of District 2. Though we still have 35 Senate Districts, newly drawn lines have essentially created a new district in the southwestern part of the state.

Click here to see the new State Senate map as it compares to the current map.

Population growth divides towns on the House map.

Significant population growth in the southern part of the state has resulted in some towns splitting into multiple House Districts. Topsham is now divided between two districts, while Westbrook now encompasses three districts. Freeport, meanwhile, has become the sole town in its district.

Perhaps most important is that the district numbers have changed drastically. For example, Freeport’s district number, once 48, is now 102. Check the Bangor Daily News for a map of the new House districts.

Maine was fortunate to have a relatively smooth approval process for redistricting in the Legislature, without having to get the State Supreme Court involved. And thanks to the requirement that two-thirds of each chamber must approve the new maps, we steered clear of the partisan gerrymandering that plagues other states.

Senate President Troy Jackson wrote in a joint statement with leaders of both parties, “It is because we believe Maine people deserve better than partisan fighting and political games when it comes to making sure they have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.”

The new Legislative and Congressional Districts will take effect in 2022.