An Act To Improve Health Care Affordability and Increase Options for Comprehensive Coverage for Individuals and Small Businesses in Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1778
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: EVANS, JACKSON, ARFORD, BROOKS, COLLINGS, MATHIESON, MELARAGNO, TEPLER
Amends: 5 MRSA §3122

Legislative Document
No. 1778
H.P. 1329
House of Representatives, December 2, 2021
An Act To Improve Health Care Affordability and Increase Options 
for Comprehensive Coverage for Individuals and Small Businesses 
in Maine
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Received by the Clerk of the House on November 30, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered 
printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative EVANS of Dover-Foxcroft.
Cosponsored by President JACKSON of Aroostook and
Representatives: ARFORD of Brunswick, BROOKS of Lewiston, COLLINGS of Portland, 
MATHIESON of Kittery, MELARAGNO of Auburn, TEPLER of Topsham.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §3122, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 459, §3, is amended by 
enacting a new first blocked paragraph to read:
Beginning in 2023, the office shall analyze barriers to affordable health care and coverage 
and develop for consideration by the legislative oversight committee proposals on potential 
methods to improve health care affordability and coverage for individuals and small 
businesses in the State.
Sec. 2. Health care and coverage study.  The Office of Affordable Health Care, 
established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 3122, shall study the effects 
of policies aimed at improving health care affordability and coverage, including effects on 
the affordability of premiums and cost-sharing in the individual and small group health 
insurance markets, and the effects of the policies on enrollment in comprehensive health 
coverage.  The office shall consider, but is not limited to considering:
1. Creating a public option health benefit plan;
2. Creating a Medicaid buy-in program;
3. Increasing enrollment in Medicaid and the federal Children's Health Insurance 
Program, including by increasing income eligibility levels;
4. Providing state-level subsidies to populations that do not qualify for federal subsidies 
through the Maine Health Insurance Marketplace, established under Title 22, section 5403; 
and
5. Other policies as identified by the office and the Advisory Council on Affordable 
Health Care, established in Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 31-B.
The office shall provide a report of its findings to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over health coverage and insurance matters no later than 
January 1, 2023. 
SUMMARY
This bill directs the Office of Affordable Health Care, beginning in 2023, to analyze 
barriers to affordable health care and coverage and develop proposals on potential methods 
to improve health care affordability and coverage for individuals and small businesses in 
the State.  It also requires the office to study the effects of policies aimed at improving 
health care affordability and coverage, including effects on the affordability of premiums 
and cost-sharing in the individual and small group health insurance markets, and the effects 
of the policies on enrollment in comprehensive health coverage.  It directs the office to 
provide a report of its findings to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over health coverage and insurance matters no later than January 1, 2023.