Top 10 Legislative Successes

124th Maine Legislature - 2009-2010

  1. Achieved the third increase in MaineCare (Medicaid) reimbursement for physicians within 8 years! This brings MaineCare rates up to approximately 70% of Medicare rates effective March 1, 2010 (L.D. 353).

  2. Banned smoking on beaches and in other public places of state parks or state historic sites (L.D. 67) and in open air dining areas of Maine restaurants (L.D. 820).

  3. Worked to ensure the successful continued evolution of the Dirigo Health Program health care reform initiative through legislation to secure a more stable funding mechanism, a fixed surcharge on paid claims, as an alternative to the “savings offset payment” (L.D. 1264).

  4. Enhanced the safety of young Maine motorcycle riders or passengers by requiring helmet use by any minor on a motorcycle (L.D. 437).

  5. Provided physicians with certain notice and due process protections in health plan profiling and tiering programs (L.D. 1205) and provided patients with better information about such programs (L.D. 1444).

  6. Made permanent a provision of the Dirigo Health Program law setting aside 12.5% of the Capital Investment Fund (CIF), the annual cap on spending for health care projects subject to certificate-of-need (CON) review, for non-hospital projects (L.D. 239).

  7. Promoted healthy weight initiatives for Maine children by collecting and reporting aggregate BMI data in schools (L.D. 319), requiring menu labeling of calorie count in certain chain restaurants after February 1, 2011 (L.D. 1259), and assessing the physical education capacities of Maine elementary schools in further implementation of the “PE4ME” program (L.D. 1407).

  8. Reformed Maine’s public health infrastructure to coordinate and streamline the system in accordance with the recommendations of a stakeholder work group and to formally establish the Healthy Maine Partnerships, district coordinating councils for public health, and the Statewide Coordinating Council for Public Health (L.D. 1363).

  9. Supported efforts to address Maine’s health workforce shortages by promoting Maine-based medical school programs and establishing the Doctors for Maine’s Future Scholarship Fund to assist Maine students who wish to attend a Maine-based medical school program (L.D. 853).

  10. Established a Universal Childhood Immunization Program in Maine, including a Maine Vaccine Board to determine a uniform set of vaccines for children from birth until age 19 (L.D. 1408).