health insurance

Hilary Schneider, director of Maine's Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace, said more than 50,000 Mainers qualify for the credits, which lower average monthly premiums by nearly $180.

Hilary Schneider, the director of Maine's marketplace, said roughly 63,000 people have signed up so far.

The enhanced tax credits help more than 50,000 Maine consumers save thousands of dollars a year, said Hilary Schneider, the director of Maine's health insurance marketplace, during a recent online press briefing.

Three years ago, only about 5% of Mainers didn't have health insurance, the lowest rate in more than a decade. But that number has since ticked upward and many are turning to free clinics for care, which is why some clinics are expanding. But lack of insurance isn't the only reason driving the demand for free care.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine and Scarborough-based Coastal Women's Healthcare announced Tuesday that they've reached an agreement on a contract.

Fore River Urology, an independent medical practice in South Portland, says it will no longer be an in-network provider as of August 1 for patients with commercial Anthem plans and as of September 1 for patients with Anthem Medicare Advantage coverage.

Committee members are trying to decide what actions to take in their role of providing oversight of both the state employees' health plan and the Maine's Bureau of Insurance, which is conducting a review of Anthem.

Earlier this month, the state announced that the federal government had approved Maine's plan to run its own marketplace. On Thursday, officials announced that with open enrollment beginning next month, the state has created a new online tool offering more data on the 71 plans on the marketplace.

The advocacy group Consumers for Affordable Health Care is urging uninsured Mainers to take advantage of a special enrollment period for health insurance available on the federal Marketplace before it ends this Sunday.

Health insurance rates for Mainers who buy individual coverage will be down an average of just over 13% in the coming year.That is according to new…