An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Primary Care Reporting by
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1497
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: ZAGER, BRADSTREET
Amends: 24-A MRSA §6951

Legislative Document
No. 1497
H.P. 981
House of Representatives, April 8, 2025
An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Primary Care Reporting by 
the Maine Quality Forum and to Establish the Primary Care 
Advisory Council
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services 
suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ZAGER of Portland.
Cosponsored by Senator BRADSTREET of Kennebec and
Representatives: ARATA of New Gloucester, MASTRACCIO of Sanford, Senators: BAILEY 
of York, BENNETT of Oxford.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  24-A MRSA §6951, sub-§12, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 244, §2, is 
repealed.
Sec. 2.  24-A MRSA §6951, sub-§12-A is enacted to read:
12-A.  Primary care reporting.  Beginning January 15, 2026 and annually thereafter, 
the forum shall submit to the Department of Health and Human Services and the joint 
standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services 
matters and health coverage and health insurance matters a report on at least one of the 
following key measures reflecting the status of primary care in the State:
A.  Annual primary care expenditures as a percentage of overall health care spending 
and investment;
B.  The capacity of the primary care provider workforce to care for all residents of the 
State;
C.  The ability of residents of the State to have timely access to primary care services; 
and
D.  The overall health of residents of the State using metrics that reflect the use of 
preventive and screening services. 
Sec. 3.  24-A MRSA §6951, sub-§14 is enacted to read:
14.  Primary Care Advisory Council.  The Primary Care Advisory Council, referred 
to in this subsection as "the advisory council," is established.  The forum shall convene and 
staff the council.
For purposes of this subsection, "primary care" means physicians, nurse practitioners and 
physician assistants practicing in family medicine, general pediatric medicine, general 
internal medicine and geriatric medicine.
A.  The advisory council shall identify specific actions required to create a sustainable 
high-functioning primary care system in the State.  The advisory council shall, at a 
minimum:
(1)  Assess the overall status of primary care in the State using available data, 
including, but not limited to, timely access to primary care services, quality of care, 
equity and the adequacy and sustainability of the State's primary care workforce;
(2)  Identify gaps in the status of primary care in the State and potential approaches 
to address those gaps; and
(3)  Make recommendations for specific policy changes to address identified gaps 
that will:
(a)  Ensure sufficient investment in primary care services that will result in 
better health for residents of the State and lower overall health expenditures;
(b)  Ensure a sufficient number and geographic distribution of primary care 
providers so that each resident of the State has a primary care provider near 
that resident's home, with a focus on ensuring equity in all counties;
(c)  Ensure a resident's ability to access services from a primary care provider 
in a timely manner; and 
(d)  Improve the health of residents by ensuring adequate access to preventive 
and screening services.
Beginning January 15, 2026 and annually thereafter, the advisory council shall submit 
a report detailing its activities and recommendations under this paragraph to the 
Department of Health and Human Services and the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over health coverage and health insurance matters. 
B.  The advisory council consists of the following 16 members:
(1)  Six members representing primary care providers licensed in the State, 
appointed by the board of directors of the Maine Health Data Organization 
established under Title 22, section 8703.  At least 3 members must be actively 
practicing primary care clinicians, working at least 20 or more clinical hours per 
week, and at least one member must be a nurse practitioner or physician assistant.  
Appointments under this subparagraph must be made as follows:
(a)  One member must be appointed from nominations provided by a statewide 
association of physicians;
(b)  One member must be appointed from nominations provided by a statewide 
association of osteopaths;
(c)  One member must be a provider working in an independently owned 
practice setting;
(d)  One member must be appointed from nominations provided by a statewide 
association of community health centers, and that member must be working at 
a federally qualified health center;
(e)  One member must be appointed from nominations provided by a statewide 
association of nurse practitioners or a statewide association of physician 
assistants; and
(f)  One member must be appointed from nominations provided by a statewide 
association of hospitals;
(2)  Four members must represent stakeholder groups with an interest in primary 
care as follows:
(a)  One member must represent 3rd-party payors and must be appointed from 
a list of 3rd-party payors provided by a statewide association of health plans 
providing or administering health insurance coverage;
(b)  One member must represent employers and must be appointed from a list 
of employers provided by a statewide association of health care purchasers; 
and
(c)  Two members must represent consumers and must be appointed from a list 
provided by a statewide association that advocates for access to affordable 
health care.  For the purposes of this division, "consumer" means a person who 
is not affiliated with or employed by a 3rd-party payor, a provider or an 
association representing 3rd-party payors or providers; and
(3)  Six members must be appointed as follows:
(a)  Two members must be appointed by the Commissioner of Health and 
Human Services, one representing the office of MaineCare services and one 
representing the office of the commissioner;
(b)  One member of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate;
(c)  One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker 
of the House;
(d)  The Superintendent of Insurance or the superintendent's designee; and 
(e)  The executive director of the Permanent Commission on the Status of 
Racial, Indigenous and Tribal Populations or the executive director's designee. 
In the event of a vacancy in the advisory council membership, the vacancy must be 
filled in the manner of the original appointment for the remainder of the term. For the 
purposes of reappointment, any partial term filled after a vacancy must be considered 
a full term.
C.  Except for members who are Legislators, members of the advisory council serve 3-
year terms.  A member may not serve more than 2 consecutive terms.  The terms of 
Legislators serving as members of the advisory council coincide with those members' 
legislative terms of office. 
D.  Except for members who are Legislators, members of the advisory council are 
eligible for compensation as provided under Title 5, chapter 379.
E.  A quorum is a majority of the members of the advisory council. 
F.  The advisory council shall choose one of its members to serve as chair for a 2-year 
term. 
G.  The advisory council shall meet at least 4 times a year at regular intervals and may 
meet at other times at the call of the chair.  Meetings of the advisory council are public 
proceedings under Title 1, chapter 13, subchapter 1. 
Sec. 4.  Staggered terms.  Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 24-A, 
section 6951, subsection 14, paragraph C, of the initial nonlegislative appointments made 
to the Primary Care Advisory Council, 4 members must be appointed to one-year terms, 5 
members must be appointed to 2-year terms and 5 members must be appointed to 3-year 
terms.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Maine Quality Forum to report annually to the Department of 
Health and Human Services and to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over health and human services matters and health coverage and health 
insurance matters on the key measures reflecting the status of primary care in the State, 
including state investments in primary care as part of overall health care spending, the 
primary care workforce, timely access to primary care services and overall health data that 
reflects the use of preventive and screening services.  The bill also establishes the Primary 
Care Advisory Council, which is required to perform research and assessment tasks to 
identify specific actions required to create a sustainable high-functioning primary care 
system in the State and to submit a report annually to the Department of Health and Human 
Services and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health 
coverage and health insurance matters.