BANGOR (AP) – Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine has emerged as a possible sole bidder to provide coverage under Maine’s Dirigo Health Program.

But Anthem, the only one of five insurance companies that expressed an interest in bidding for the business, said it has yet to decide if it will follow through with a bid.

If no bid is received by June 11, or if an agreement cannot be reached, the state is authorized to move forward by creating its own nonprofit state agency to provide the Dirigo product.

Monday was the deadline for private insurers to file an “intent to bid” notice” for the state-sponsored insurance plan to be called Dirigo Health CareWorks.

Gov. John Baldacci’s office of health policy and finance would not reveal how many bids were received by the Monday deadline. But of the five insurance companies that attended a bidders conference last week, four – Cigna, Aetna, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and United Health Care – have dropped out.

Other insurers may have filed by the deadline, but without the state’s confirmation, Anthem remains the only known potential bidder.

Anthem officials are still analyzing the state’s request for proposals, company spokesman William Cohen said, and its filing was the only way to keep options open while the company examines the 400-page document.

Cohen said Anthem will have no further comment on its interest in the Dirigo plan until bids are opened.

Anthem has a vested interest in remaining the dominant private insurer in Maine.

St. John said, and there’s nothing to prevent the state’s DHCareWorks from expanding into Anthem territory in the future.

At the conservative Maine Heritage Policy Center, Director of Health Reform Initiatives Tarren Bragdon said the apparent lack of bidding enthusiasm on the part of insurers shows “there are big questions about the viability and marketability” of the DHCareWorks product.

“Insurers recognize it’s going to be a tough sell to the business owner,” Bragdon said.

Also weighing in Tuesday was Professor Andy Coburn, director of the Institute for Health Policy at the Muskie School of Public Policy in Portland. “Anthem has a lot at stake here,” Coburn said. “It doesn’t want to say no. But can it afford to say yes?”

AP-ES-05-26-04 0954EDT