Right now, Maine has an opportunity to open a door to health coverage options for its residents and guarantee them access to affordable, quality care.

By 2014, every state is required to establish a state-regulated marketplace, or exchange, for people to purchase health insurance. If set up and run properly, those marketplaces will improve access to care for people with chronic diseases, such as cancer, by allowing people to easily compare insurance plans and choose the one that is best for them.

To guarantee that those health marketplaces provide the best possible coverage options to consumers, only plans that offer quality coverage should be able to sell policies in the exchange. And the exchange should be able to negotiate the best deals possible for consumers.

A transparent and competitive marketplace will help guarantee that participating insurance companies provide high-quality and comprehensive coverage options to consumers.

If managed responsibly, a properly run health insurance marketplace in Maine can be competitive and easy to navigate — assuring access to quality health care for countless uninsured and underinsured residents.

The Legislature must design an exchange that has the authority to act independently in the best interests of consumers.

Diane Mitchell, Rumford