AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Gov. John Baldacci signed a bill Wednesday that will give thousands of uninsured residents access to health coverage.
Under the plan, one of the nation's most comprehensive, all Maine residents who cannot otherwise afford health insurance will have access to low-cost coverage by 2009.
"We in Maine don't wait for some ship to come in from Washington to help us," said Baldacci, a former congressman.
The plan creates an agency to help people secure medical coverage through private insurers. Participants will be charged subsidized premiums that would vary according to their ability to pay.