Several thousand Mainers who have Affordable Care Act insurance but qualify for Medicaid will be switched over during the Nov. 1-Dec. 15 enrollment.
Federal data indicates that 74% of Maine residents earn less than 400% of the federal poverty level, $83,120, and are eligible for subsidized ACA insurance.
The executive director of Maine-based Consumers for Affordable Health Care, Ann Woloson, says national ACA enrollment has been down since President Donald Trump took office, declining from 12.7 million to 11.4 million.
A Maine-based independent health policy analyst, Mitchell Stein, says Maine's Medicaid expansion will lead to fewer Mainers being uninsured.
The Portland Press Herald reports that Maine is proposing to switch from a federally run marketplace to a state-run ACA marketplace, which could provide additional federal funding for outreach efforts.