Maine Governor Janet Mills Nominates Meg Garratt-Reed for Executive Director of Office of Affordable Health Care
Maine Governor Janet Mills has nominated Meg Garratt-Reed, Director of the Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, to be the Executive Director of the new Office of Affordable Health Care. Her nomination is subject to review by the state Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance, and Financial Services Committee and confirmation by the Maine State Senate.[0] If approved, she will serve a five-year term.
The new office, created by legislation sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson, is intended to analyze drivers of health care costs and propose solutions to help Maine people.[1] It will study health data and identify policy recommendations to improve health care affordability, quality, access and equity for individuals and families, employers, other health care payers, and State government.[2] The office will be advised by a 13-member council of providers, consumers, payers, and others.[3]
Garratt-Reed is currently the director of the Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and was instrumental in launching CoverME.gov as a fully state-run health insurance marketplace in 2021. Mainers are now purchasing ACA marketplace insurance through a new website, replacing healthcare.gov, the federal website.[1]
“I'm honored by this nomination and the opportunity to build on Maine’s nation-leading expansion of coverage to help ensure all Maine people can afford the health care they need,” said Garratt-Reed.[0] The Office of Affordable Health Care is collaborating with the Governor's office, legislators, and stakeholders to implement new strategies to ameliorate the increasing cost of health care for Maine families and businesses.[0]
Mills echoed this sentiment in a written statement, saying, “Maine has seen the largest decline in its uninsured rate of any state in the nation in recent years. With Meg at the helm of this independent, nonpartisan organization, I believe we can continue to make headway in expanding lifesaving insurance to more people and improving health care affordability.”[0]
Prior to her current role, Garratt-Reed was a Senior Advisor for Coverage and Affordability at the Department of Health and Human Services.[2]
0. “Maine's affordable health care office has its first director” Spectrum News, 30 Jan. 2023, https://spectrumlocalnews.com/me/maine/news/2023/01/30/maine-s-new-affordable-health-care-office-has-its-first-director
1. “Gov. Mills nominates director of new health care agency” Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.centralmaine.com/2023/01/30/gov-mills-nominates-director-of-new-health-care-agency/
2. “Governor Mills Nominates Executive Director for New Office of Affordable Health Care | Office of Governor Janet T. Mills” Maine.gov, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/news/governor-mills-nominates-executive-director-new-office-affordable-health-care-2023-01-30
3. “Gov. Mills nominates director for new Office of Affordable Health Care” Maine Public, 30 Jan. 2023, https://www.mainepublic.org/health/2023-01-30/governor-mills-nominates-director-for-new-office-of-affordable-health-care
