Dirigo health insurance?? (Bangor, Waterville: low income, how much, lawyers)

[Red123]

Hi all, I'm new to these forums but have used the website alot in the past. I have been doing some extensive research and making trips to Maine to plan for my move there this summer. I have recently come across this Dirigo health insurance plan. I'm alittle confused on how it works. Is it mandatory by law to have it? I've read that it is really expensive, how much is it usually per person? I know that it is expensive to live up there with utilities and taxes and what not, but if this is 300-400 per person per month like I've read, it may keep me from being able to afford living there

Please, any information on this will be greatly appreciated, and sorry if im exaggerating this, I have a tendence to do that lol

[bigchuckie]

In a nutshell it is medicaid or medicare. I honestly dont know which is which.
It is basicially for people w/o health insurance

[Red123]

Thanks for the reply.

[Coaster]

Red, Dirigo is a state-aadministered health plan aimed at low-income residents and small businesses. The idea when it was created was to use money taken from health insurors and hospitals to underwrite low-cost health plans for up to 130,000 Mainers. It has been charitably described as a complete mess. At last report, it covered less than 15,000 people and was eating up $100 million-plus a year. IOW, a typical government program.

To answer your question, it is not mandatory. Massachusetts is the only state with mandatory health coverage, and that law just passed last year.

Regarding health insurance in general, Mainers pay some of the highest health insurance rates in the country, thanks to a series of laws and regulations passed in 1993 and the years since. You can get almost identical coverage in New Hampshire for half the price in some cases -- except Maine law prohibits you from buying your health insurance out of state. If health insurance costs are a factor in your planned move here, you should check very carefully as to what coverage is available and what it will cost you before making the move.

[Red123]

Originally Posted by Coaster

Red, Dirigo is a state-aadministered health plan aimed at low-income residents and small businesses. The idea when it was created was to use money taken from health insurors and hospitals to underwrite low-cost health plans for up to 130,000 Mainers. It has been charitably described as a complete mess. At last report, it covered less than 15,000 people and was eating up $100 million-plus a year. IOW, a typical government program.

To answer your question, it is not mandatory. Massachusetts is the only state with mandatory health coverage, and that law just passed last year.

Regarding health insurance in general, Mainers pay some of the highest health insurance rates in the country, thanks to a series of laws and regulations passed in 1993 and the years since. You can get almost identical coverage in New Hampshire for half the price in some cases -- except Maine law prohibits you from buying your health insurance out of state. If health insurance costs are a factor in your planned move here, you should check very carefully as to what coverage is available and what it will cost you before making the move.

Wow, thanks very much. It looks like it might keep me from relocating to the great state of Maine, but I guess I can always take a vacation. Thanks very much for the imput.

[bigchuckie]

Originally Posted by Red123

Wow, thanks very much. It looks like it might keep me from relocating to the great state of Maine, but I guess I can always take a vacation. Thanks very much for the imput.

This is exactly why Mainers are leaving and not many businesses are interested in setting up shop here. along with high workers comp rates and high taxes I dont blame them

[Acadianlion]

Originally Posted by bigchuckie

This is exactly why Mainers are leaving and not many businesses are interested in setting up shop here. along with high workers comp rates and high taxes I dont blame them

Actually, the worker's compensation insurance rates aren't particularly high. The workers compensation system in Maine was overhauled in the late 1980's-1990's and the legislature made changes to the workers comp law that removed many of the legal issues that prompted enormous costs for almost every claim. Now that the lawyers are not deeply entrenched in the claims process from the smallest to the largest claims, the worker's comp exposures have stabilized. The formation of MEMIC, or Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Company has been a positive thing for the employer, and now that the entire system is working again, there are beginning to be alternative insurance plans for worker's comp emerge in Maine. Now, if only the legislature would let the health insurance process well enough alone, so that the competitive environment would once again emerge, there would be alternatives for health insurance coverage available. At present the only alternative for health insurance is Anthem/Blue Cross, which is reasonably expensive for an individual, and any sort of group insurance plan is simply so expensive that a very small business cannot afford it. The legislature thinks that it can have a state run health plan, which is what Dirigo represents. But if the state gets into the insurance business it will bankrupt the state quickly, as the laws of small numbers (1.2 million people is a very small pool for health insurane), coupled with adverse selection...the simple fact that the sick and most needy will be the first to enter the state program, and thus cost the most in benefits for the premium dollar...will run the program into the ground.

[lovemaine]

Originally Posted by Acadianlion

Actually, the worker's compensation insurance rates aren't particularly high. The workers compensation system in Maine was overhauled in the late 1980's-1990's and the legislature made changes to the workers comp law that removed many of the legal issues that prompted enormous costs for almost every claim. Now that the lawyers are not deeply entrenched in the claims process from the smallest to the largest claims, the worker's comp exposures have stabilized. The formation of MEMIC, or Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Company has been a positive thing for the employer, and now that the entire system is working again, there are beginning to be alternative insurance plans for worker's comp emerge in Maine. Now, if only the legislature would let the health insurance process well enough alone, so that the competitive environment would once again emerge, there would be alternatives for health insurance coverage available. At present the only alternative for health insurance is Anthem/Blue Cross, which is reasonably expensive for an individual, and any sort of group insurance plan is simply so expensive that a very small business cannot afford it. The legislature thinks that it can have a state run health plan, which is what Dirigo represents. But if the state gets into the insurance business it will bankrupt the state quickly, as the laws of small numbers (1.2 million people is a very small pool for health insurane), coupled with adverse selection...the simple fact that the sick and most needy will be the first to enter the state program, and thus cost the most in benefits for the premium dollar...will run the program into the ground.

As always, your replies/posts are very thorough and thought provoking. Thank you for taking the time to help all of us future Mainers !

[brandyfitz89]

Originally Posted by bigchuckie

In a nutshell it is medicaid or medicare. I honestly dont know which is which.
It is basicially for people w/o health insurance

Its not medicaid, because that is for the very low income and it is not medicare because that is for people over 65 and retired or disabled, Dirago is suppose to be for the middle class and small business to offer to their employees, but all it basically is, another way to make the rich - richer and the middle class - poor and drive small business out of the state. If I was you and really need health insurance, which most of us would love to have it cause you never know, I would think long and hard before moving to Maine. As of right now I am working on paying out of my pocket about $30,000 in medical bills, that is only for my husband being in the hospital 4 days having minor surgery and test. We make to much money to get help but not enough to be able to afford the Dirago Plan.

Good Luck to You!

[Red123]

Originally Posted by brandyfitz89

Its not medicaid, because that is for the very low income and it is not medicare because that is for people over 65 and retired or disabled, Dirago is suppose to be for the middle class and small business to offer to their employees, but all it basically is, another way to make the rich - richer and the middle class - poor and drive small business out of the state. If I was you and really need health insurance, which most of us would love to have it cause you never know, I would think long and hard before moving to Maine. As of right now I am working on paying out of my pocket about $30,000 in medical bills, that is only for my husband being in the hospital 4 days having minor surgery and test. We make to much money to get help but not enough to be able to afford the Dirago Plan.

Good Luck to You!

I know what ya mean about the medical bills, my mother was in the hospital for 3 week, 2 weeks in the ICU and recieved a $155,000 bill, and thats half knocked off the original. Needless to say I can't pay it in my lifetime lol. If I do decide to move, I will have to go without it until I get a full time job with insurance and January my mother gets some kind of insurance threw her disability.

I have my mind set on Maine, I've considered Idaho, and Tennessee but I always go back to Maine. We're making a trip in March to dig alittle deeper in the Bangor or Waterville area, so hopefully everything goes the way I hope

I thank everyone who has replied, any and all info is greatly appreciated!