“Two Days to Fight for Health Care Justice” - March 18-19, 2010
Cumberland County Courthouse
142 Federal St.
Portland , ME
Last year, Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Maine asked for an 18% rate hike for certain individual policyholders. These policies, generally known to provide only “catastrophic coverage” are for some of Maine's hardest working people (small business owners, folks working two or three part time jobs) are all that stand in the way of financial ruin. Maine’s Superintendent of Insurance denied that request and instead granted Anthem a 10.9% rate increase. That wasn’t enough for Anthem! They decided file a lawsuit against the state of Maine to ensure a guaranteed profit at a time when many Mainers are struggling just to make ends meet. And, even before that case has been heard, Anthem announced that it is requesting an additional 23% rate increase on the same policyholders. Wellpoint, Anthem’s parent company, made $2.7 billion dollars just in the 4th quarter of 2009, yet they are now asking Mainers to pay even more. Maine Change that Works, the Maine People’s Alliance, MSEA-SEIU Local 1989 and their partnering organizations are calling for a two-day mobilization (the night before the courthouse hearing and on the morning of the hearing) to demand Anthem stop its abusive practices and to call on Congress to act quickly in passing health care reform. March 18th – Rally & March March 19th – Pack the Courthouse