An Act To Assist Small Businesses in Providing Health Care for Their Employees
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1243
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: MORALES, FOLEY, GATTINE, PICKETT, TEPLER
Amends: 24-A MRSA §4321

Legislative Document
No. 1243
H.P. 904
House of Representatives, March 14, 2019
An Act To Assist Small Businesses in Providing Health Care for 
Their Employees
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services 
suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MORALES of South Portland.
Cosponsored by Representatives: FOLEY of Biddeford, GATTINE of Westbrook, PICKETT 
of Dixfield, TEPLER of Topsham.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  24-A MRSA §4321, sub-§4, ¶¶B, C, D, E and H, as enacted by PL 
1997, c. 792, §3, are amended to read:
B.  Providing information to consumers, and employers with 50 or fewer employees 
in accordance with subsection 5, regarding health care plan options and obtaining 
health care coverage and services.  The division may not make any specific 
recommendations regarding commercially offered products;
C.  Assisting enrollees and employers with 50 or fewer employees to understand their 
rights and responsibilities under health care plans;
D.  Providing information to consumers and employers with 50 or fewer employees 
on health care plan performance by distributing materials and utilizing existing 
resources relating to health care plan performance;
E.  Providing assistance to enrollees and employers with 50 or fewer employees with 
complaints relating to health care plans, when appropriate.  The division may assist 
enrollees and employers with 50 or fewer employees with quality-of-care complaints 
by coordinating with the appropriate state health professional licensing boards and 
other appropriate state and federal oversight bodies with authority over quality-of-
care complaints.  The division shall defer any issues of professional competence to 
the appropriate state health professional licensing boards;
H.  Promoting coordination between the division and other organizations that assist 
consumers and employers with 50 or fewer employees, including, but not limited to, 
legal assistance providers serving low-income health care consumers and other health 
care consumers, health insurance counseling assistance programs, the long-term care 
ombudsman program pursuant to Title 22, section 5106, subsection 11-C and 
assistance programs for individuals with disabilities established under federal or state 
law;
Sec. 2.  24-A MRSA §4321, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
5.  Assistance to employers with 50 or fewer employees.  The division shall 
provide education and resources to assist employers with 50 or fewer employees 
regarding health care options and obtaining health care coverage and services for their 
employees, including, but not limited to, options for coverage through the commercial 
group market, through association group coverage, through small business health options 
through the federal Affordable Care Act and through self-insurance.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Bureau of Insurance, Consumer Health Care Division to provide 
education and resources to employers with 50 or fewer employees to assist with making 
decisions related to health care coverage for their employees.