Member Spotlight: Consumers for Affordable Health Care
When dealing with health insurance, have you ever said to yourself, “this doesn’t seem fair” or, “wait, this can’t be right?” Have you ever had a loved one tell you they don’t know which coverage choice is best for them? Or wondered how we can change health care policy to make a difference in helping our communities to thrive? To help with all those quandaries and more, Consumers for Affordable Health Care is an amazing resource.
Consumers for Affordable Health Care (CAHC) is a Maine nonprofit that helps consumers with questions and challenges related to their healthcare coverage, advocates for more equitable and person-centered health care policy, and works to improve health equity. For individuals and families, CAHC staff provide counseling to educate Mainers about MaineCare and ACA Marketplace plans. Last year, CAHC fielded over 7,200 calls with questions about health coverage. For people who need assistance applying for health insurance, CAHC staff helps consumers with assembling the documentation for MaineCare coverage or enrolling in Marketplace coverage through CoverME.gov. CAHC can also assist with complaints and appeals related to private insurance. For more information on all the consumer assistance CAHC provides, visit here.
CAHC also has staff dedicated to health policy work who are deeply committed to making healthcare more affordable and accessible for all. They have recently been involved with multiple policy issues, including: participating on a task force that recently released recommendations to address hospital facility fees that increase patient bills; advocating for more affordable prescription drugs; and pressing for “All Means All” MaineCare coverage, which would make coverage available to all eligible people living in Maine, regardless of immigration status. To date, advocacy has been successful in ensuring that all pregnant Mainers and children are covered, regardless of citizenship. CAHC has also been working in partnership with Maine Access Immigrant Network and New Mainers Public Health Initiative to reduce barriers many face accessing Free Care at Maine hospitals.
Consumers for Affordable Health Care is an unsung hero in Maine’s health and wellness sector. While progress has been made in Maine, there is more to be done to improve access to health care and coverage in our society. We are grateful to CAHC for their passionate and tireless work on this front. I encourage you to tell a friend about CAHC, and to stay in touch with all their work!
