• The Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance received the federal Exchange Planning grant of $1 million in September 2010.

• Maine is a member of the consortium of New England states that received a federal Early Innovator Grant of $36 million to develop, share, and leverage insurance exchange technology. The multi-state consortium also includes Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Massachusetts with the University of Massachusetts Medical School as the grant holder. 

• The Dirigo Health Authority was awarded a $5.8 million federal Level One Establishment grant to design and begin to build business operations and information technology systems for the Exchange and Medicaid, in November 2011.However, the Governor indicated in April 2012 the state would not spend the grant money.

• Since the state has not submitted a benchmark EHB plan, Maine will default to the largest small-group plan in the state Anthem (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maine) Blue Choice PPO.

• An advisory committee of different stakeholders was created in 2011 to analyze possible exchange implementation and make recommendations for legislation.

• Though Maine is not establishing a state-based exchange, they will create a Navigator program.

• The federal government will assume full responsibility for running a health insurance exchange in Maine starting in 2014.

For More Information:

• http://www.dirigohealth.maine.gov/Pages/exchange_planning.html