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In June 2003, the Maine, US Legislature passed a comprehensive health insurance plan, granting low-cost coverage to all state residents by 2009.[1][2][3] The law stated that a semi-private agency would provide coverage to uninsured residents, small businesses, municipalities, and the self-employed.[2] Premiums were set at a sliding scale, where individuals making below $27,000 and families making below $55,000 would be eligible for reduced rates, and the law called for the creation of a watchdog group to monitor hospital and doctor costs.[2] The bill passed the Maine House of Representatives 105 to 38, and the Maine Senate 25 to 8.[2]
About 15,000 of the 140,000 uninsured have been covered by the program.[citation needed] The original project goals were to pay for the program with savings from reducing inefficiencies in the existing system and not raise taxes, while providing insurance to 140,000 people.[citation needed] Another goal was to make hospital pricing more transparent to customers.[4] Over time, the state was forced to raise taxes over 5% to help pay for this program, and enrollment in the program was ultimately closed due to cost issues.[citation needed]
Scholars have identified Maine's health insurance law as one of several state laws from the early 2000s designed to "make insurance available to most of their residents."[5][6] Other scholars suggested that state healthcare laws, including the Maine health insurance act, indicated that healthcare reform had become an issue of national significance.[7]
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