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Ann Woloson, executive director of Consumers for Affordable Health Care, says 54,000 Mainers receive the enhanced premium tax credits on the online marketplace. And without those subsidies, many will no longer be able to afford coverage.
"Counties in northern and Down East Maine, including Aroostook and Washington County, have the highest potential increase in premiums: around 70% or more," she says.
Ann Woloson with Consumers for Affordable Health Care said that last year, their helpline received over 7,000 requests from Mainers seeking help understanding their coverage options, including information about what they might qualify for regarding their monthly health insurance premiums. “Over 54,000 Mainers are benefiting from the enhanced subsidies currently. If the enhanced subsidies are not extended, many Mainers will no longer be able to afford the coverage they need. Mainers living in rural areas will be hardest hit.”
Forty percent of Mainers struggle with medical debt, according to Consumers for Affordable Health Care. This problem is likely to become even worse when the 18% to 24% premium rate increases approved by the Maine Bureau of Insurance on Sept. 2 go into effect.
