CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Office workers in search of snacks will be counting calories along with their change under new labeling regulations for vending machines included in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul law. Requiring calorie information to be displayed on roughly 5 million vending machines nationwide will help consumers make healthier choices, says the […]
health care
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Reversing ACA cancellations fails to make everyone happy
RALEIGH, N.C. — A month after President Barack Obama announced people could keep insurance policies slated for cancellation under the federal health overhaul, the reversal has gotten a mixed response from insurers, state regulators and consumers. Many consumers complained in October and November after insurers notified them that their plans were being canceled because they […]
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Posted inBusiness, sj-web
New law to require health care providers to list prices
AUGUSTA — For years, most patients have received medical procedures without knowing the cost. Want to know how much you’ll shell out for that X-ray or CT scan? Many would simply wait for the bill. But starting in 2014, practitioners in Maine will be required to compile a list of their most commonly performed procedures […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Report compares how long it takes to be treated in Maine ERs
Patients at Maine emergency rooms wait anywhere from 10 minutes to nearly an hour to see a doctor, federal data show as the holidays usher in a seasonal spike in illnesses and injuries. Wait times range from 51 minutes at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor to 10 minutes at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Feds extend deadline an extra day to sign up for ACA
AUGUSTA — Groups helping Mainers figure out their health insurance options on the federal marketplace said Monday that they’re keeping busy ahead of the looming coverage deadlines. The deadline to sign up on the federal marketplace for coverage that kicks in Jan. 1 had been Monday, but federal officials announced that they extended that deadline […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Auburn woman struggles as MaineCare ride problems continue
Laurie Thomas had to see her doctor. The 51-year-old diabetic and recent amputee was battling an infection on one foot and was concerned about a cut on her other leg. She had regular medical appointments and her doctor was taking care of her. She just had to get to him. So earlier this week she […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Feds say about 1,750 Mainers enrolled in ACA plans
AUGUSTA — The federal government says more than five times as many Mainers signed up for health insurance on the online exchange in the second month of enrollment compared to the first. The figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show that about 1,480 Mainers picked a plan last month. […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
DHHS commissioner makes case against expansion
PORTLAND — The head of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services reiterated Gov. Paul LePage’s stance against Medicaid expansion in the state, telling Portland business leaders Wednesday morning that the move would ultimately cannibalize other parts of the state budget. Mary Mayhew, commissioner of DHHS, spoke to the Portland Community Chamber at one […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Audit shows health care subsidies are open to fraud
WASHINGTON — Government subsidies to help Americans buy insurance under the health care overhaul may be vulnerable to fraud, a Treasury Department watchdog warned on Tuesday in the latest indication that troubles are far from over for President Barack Obama’s signature legislation. The rollout of the law has been hurt by canceled policies and problems […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Obama administration says it’s on track to meet health care website goal, but questions remain
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says it will meet its self-imposed deadline of fixing the troubled health care website so that 50,000 people can log in at the same time starting late Saturday. Yet questions remain about the stability of the site, the volume of traffic it can handle and the quality of the […]