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Town of New Gloucester
385 Intervale Road, New Gloucester, ME 04260
(207) 926-4126 (phone) / (207) 926-4136 (fax)
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Town of Poland
1231 Maine Street, Poland, ME 04274
(207) 998-4601 (phone) / (207) 998-2002 (fax)
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Rules Ignored to Ram Through Sham Budget, then Majority Votes to Adjourn with Work Still to be Done
For only the third time in seventy years, legislative Democrats abandoned the established budget process to pass a one-page, two-year budget. This move effectively precluded from budget deliberations elected representatives from over 400 Maine towns and cities served by Republicans and unenrolled legislators.
In pursuing this course of action, the majority party abandoned their own Joint and House Rules (JR 314.6 and HR 503) and passed a "majority budget" requiring that they pretend lingering work is completed for the year. To accomplish this fiction, the Legislature officially adjourned (ended) its First Regular Session so that the budget will take effect before the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.
Maine DHHS Urges People to Take Advantage of New Health Care Savings and Extra Time to Sign Up for Coverage
The special enrollment period for HealthCare.gov plans will be extended until August 15, 2021. Consumers now have another three months to enroll or review their coverage, with increased tax credits available to lower their monthly premiums starting April 1.
Starting April 1 under the American Rescue Plan, consumers have access to additional savings through HealthCare.gov. These savings will lower premiums by, on average, $50 per person per month and $85 per policy per month, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. On average, one in four individuals who enroll through HeathCare.gov can upgrade their plan for coverage that offers lower out-of-pocket costs at the same or lower monthly premium.
More than three million uninsured people are estimated to be newly eligible for these healthcare coverage savings. In Maine, this includes 16,300 uninsured residents who are newly eligible for tax credits and 2,200 uninsured residents newly eligible for silver plans that carry a $0 monthly premium.
Additionally, beginning in early July, consumers eligible to receive unemployment compensation for any week during 2021 may get additional savings when enrolling in new Marketplace coverage through HealthCare.gov or updating their existing Marketplace application.
If you are not sure what coverage you qualify for, visit CoverME.gov or call Consumers for Affordable Health Care at 1-800-965-7476 to learn more about affordable options through both MaineCare and HealthCare.gov. Maine people are eligible for insurance through MaineCare if their annual income is less than $17,236 for a single person or $29,435 for a family of three. Eligible Maine people may enroll in MaineCare at any time of year.
Acceleration of Maine’s COVID-19 Vaccination Timeline
Beginning Tuesday, March 23, 2021, Maine residents age 50 and older have been eligible for the vaccination. Beginning Monday, April 19, 2021, all Maine residents age 16 and older will be eligible for vaccination. The accelerated timeline comes as some Maine vaccine providers are reporting availability of appointments and as Maine anticipates an increase in vaccine supply from the Federal Government.
The vaccine schedule is now as follows.
- March 3 -- Age 60 and older
- March 23 -- Age 50 and older
- April 19 -- All Maine residents age 16 and older
As with all changes in eligibility, it will take some time for some vaccine clinics to begin to schedule appointments and administer COVID-19 vaccines. Some vaccine sites may now begin accepting appointments for residents aged 50 and older, while others are preparing to offer appointments in the coming days. To find a vaccination site, visit the State’s vaccine Web site.
Additional information on vaccination for people in Maine is available at Maine’s COVID-19 vaccine Web site.
Order Your Free Official Maine Travel Planner
The Maine Tourism Association publishes three specialized resource guides to help you plan your trip around Maine – Maine’s official travel planner, Maine Invites You, as well as the Maine Guide to Camps & Cottages and the Maine Guide to Inns and Bed and Breakfasts. View or download the guides below or fill out the form to request a printed version to be delivered to your doorstep.
When you receive your Maine Invites You guide in the mail, you will also receive the official Maine highway map. This handy map is a large, unfoldable map, which details all the major routes throughout Maine so you can get there from here! You will also find a lot of recommendations for what to do and where to stay during your Maine journey.
CLICK HERE TO ORDER
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW
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