An Act To Encourage Agricultural Cooperative Associations To Provide Group Health Plans
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0492
Committee: Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: O'NEIL
Amends: 24-A MRSA §4303

Legislative Document 
No. 492 
H.P.381 
House of Representatives, February 4,2003 
An Act To Encourage Agricultural Cooperative Associations To 
Provide Group Health Plans 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Insurance and Financial Services suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative O'NEIL of Saco. 
Printed on recycled paper 
17/~/J7.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, Acts of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted 
as emergencies; and 
Whereas, 
associations 
group 
located 
heal th 
plans 
outside 
of 
sponsored 
this 
State 
insurance to enrollees living in this State; and 
by 
agr icul tural 
provide 
health 
Whereas, changes 
to 
the 
law 
are 
necessary 
to 
prevent 
enrollees living in this State from losing their health insurance 
coverage; and 
Whereas, this legislation clarifies the grievance procedure 
that must be available to enrollees in this State who 
have 
coverage 
through 
out-of-state 
agricultural 
cooperative 
association group health plans; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts 
create an emergency wi thin the meaning of the Constitution of 
Maine 
and 
require 
the 
following 
legislation 
as 
immediately 
necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and 
safety; now, therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 24-A MRSA §4303, sub-§4, 1lD is enacted to read: 
D. 
Notwithstanding this subsection, 
a 
group health plan 
sponsored by an agricultural cooperative association located 
outside 
of 
this 
State 
that 
provides 
health 
insurance 
coverage to members of one or more agricultural cooperative 
associations 
located 
within 
this 
State 
may 
employ 
a 
grievance procedure for enrollees in the group health plan 
that meets the reguirements of the state in which the group 
health plan is located if enrollees in the group health plan 
that reside in this State have the right to independent 
external review in accordance with section 4312 following 
any adverse health care treatment decision. 
Enrollees in 
the group health plan that reside in this State must be 
notified as to the grievance procedure used by the group 
health plan and their right to independent external review 
in accordance with section 4312. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this Act takes effect when approved. 
This bill allows 
a 
agricultural cooperative 
SUMMARY 
group health plan 
association located 
sponsored 
outside of 
by 
an 
Maine 
that provides coverage to members of agricultural cooperative 
associations located within this State to employ an internal 
grievance procedure that meets the requirements of the state in 
which the plan' s insurer is located as long as enrollees living 
in this State are provided with an independent external review of 
any adverse health care decision in accordance with the State' s 
requirements. 
The bill is an emergency and takes effect when enacted.