Weekly ENews

Rep. Dillingham

Coronavirus Auto Insurance Discounts

Most of the major auto insurance carriers have announced “payback” plans for customers who are sheltering in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are no longer driving to and from work. Some of the relief programs mentioned below apply only to personal auto insurance policies.

Allstate announced they will give customers 15 percent back based on their premiums for April and May. The funds will automatically be deposited back to the bank or credit card used for the customer’s most recent payment or apply credits to accounts.

American Family is offering a one-time payment of $50 for each personal vehicle insured with them.

Chubb is providing its personal auto insurance clients a 35 percent premium reduction for April and May. It’s also giving U.S. small business clients whose policies renew from April through August an automatic 15 percent reduction in premiums for their commercial auto insurance.

Farmers will reduce auto insurance premiums by 25 percent, but only for one month. The credit will be applied automatically to an upcoming billing statement or refunded to the bank or credit card account on file if the customer paid their account balance in full.

GEICO is offering credits of 15 percent of the customer’s next six-month policy term for all auto, motorcycle, and RV policyholders as the policies come up for renewal.

Hartford will issue refunds worth “about 15 percent” of April and May premiums to personal auto insurance customers

Liberty Mutual is giving personal auto insurance customers a 15 percent refund on two months of their auto insurance premium, based on the premium amount as of April 7, 2020. The refund will be issued in the manner customers made their most recent payment, or by check.

Nationwide will issue a one-time premium refund of $50 per policy for all personal auto policies active as of March 31, 2020.

Progressive is giving personal auto policyholders a credit of 20 percent of their April or May premiums. The credit will be applied to any outstanding balance or next bill or refunded if the policy has already been paid in full. Commercial customers with a business owner or general liability policy will get a 20% credit on April and May monthly premiums.

State Farm is giving its auto insurance customers a credit of “about 25 percent” of their premium for March 20 to the end of May—exact percentages will vary by state. Customers will receive credits applied against bills beginning as early as June.

Travelers is giving personal auto insurance customers a 15 percent credit on April and May auto insurance premiums, rebated in the form of account credits.

USAA is giving every member with an auto insurance policy in effect as of March 31, 2020, a 20 percent credit on two months of premiums. The credit will automatically be applied to customers’ bills.

 

NAMI Maine Launches Teen Peer Support Text Line

Maine’s chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Maine) has announce the launch of the Teen Text Support Line, a new mental health program for youth 14 – 20 years of age living in Maine.

The Text Line can be reached at (207) 515 – 8398 (TEXT). The Teen Text Support Line operates from 12pm – 10pm each day and provides adolescents who may need additional mental health support with a safe space to talk with another young person. Staff providing support via the Teen Text Line are between 19 – 23 years of age.

“In this time when routines are changing more than ever, it is important for youths to have some connection to others who can understand some of the struggles and disappointments that we are experiencing,” says one Maine 8th grader. According to the 2019 Maine KIDS COUNT Data Book, Maine’s youth have the highest rate of diagnosed anxiety in the nation, and the country’s third highest rate of diagnosed depression among children aged 3 – 17.

The Teen Text Line is not a crisis line. If you believe that you or someone you know could be in crisis, please do not hesitate to connect with the Maine Crisis Line via phone or text at (888) 568-1112.

 

Nearly $11 Million in Federal Funds to Support Essential Workers and Child Care Providers in Response to COVID-19

Nearly $11 million in federal funds will support access to child care for Maine's essential workers, including health care professionals and first responders, and offer relief for child care providers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Maine has received $10,953,470 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families' Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program. The CCDBG program helps eligible low-income and working families to afford child care and supports providers in delivering high-quality care. Under the CARES Act, workers deemed essential who are working outside the home are now temporarily eligible to receive child care assistance regardless of their income, including health care workers, first responders, emergency medical services personnel, state employees, grocery store staff, environmental services professionals, and others.

Child care providers affected by the pandemic will also receive immediate assistance. Nearly 2,000 providers will receive a one-time stipend, based on their capacity and extent of their current operations. Child care providers will additionally receive support to aid them in resuming operations following the conclusion of the civil state of emergency.

Financial assistance will support households where all parents/guardians are essential employees who are reporting to work outside the home and will be paid on their behalf directly to their child care provider.

The new federal funding builds on the strategies Maine DHHS has already implemented to support Maine families and child care providers in response to the pandemic, including:

Working with child care partners to match working parents, including those serving in essential response roles, with providers who remain open at this time

For parents participating in CCSP, DHHS is paying the parent portion of child care costs directly to providers

Continuing to pay child care subsidy on behalf of children when providers are closed due to COVID-19

Extending all current CCSP awards for three months to allow families additional time to submit documentation

Implementing emergency, temporary child care licenses to meet the needs of essential employees

Regularly distributing guidance to child care providers about appropriate health and safety precautions

Those interested in learning more may visit the Child Care Subsidy section of the Office of Child and Family Services' COVID-19 response page.

 

Order of Bond Questions on July Ballot

The order of the two bond questions for the July 14, 2020 Special Referendum election have been announced:

Question 1: Internet Infrastructure Bond (PL 673, Sec. B-10) https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/bills_129th/chapters/PUBLIC673.asp "Do you favor a $15,000,000 bond issue to invest in high-speed internet infrastructure for unserved and underserved areas, to be used to match up to $30,000,000 in federal, private, local or other funds?”

Question 2: Transportation Bond (PL 673, Sec. A-9)https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/bills_129th/chapters/PUBLIC673.asp Do you favor a $105,000,000 bond issue for improvement of highways and bridges statewide and for multimodal facilities or equipment related to transit, freight and passenger railroads, aviation, ports, harbors, marine transportation and active transportation projects, to be used to match an estimated $275,000,000 in federal and other funds?

Voters will decide on the two bond questions in the Special Referendum Election on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, which will take place on the same day as the State Primary Election.

Visit the Upcoming Elections webpage https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/index.html for additional information. The Absentee Ballot Request https://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/AbsenteeBallot/index.pl service for this election is live, allowing registered voters to easily request their ballots via mail. Voters can also request their ballot from their municipal clerk directly or vote in person on Election Day.

Maine citizens who need to register to vote can access the Maine Voter Registration application https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/upcoming/pdf/voterregcard20.pdf on our website and submit their completed form via mail to their town clerk.