Maine co-op gets loan from ACA-based federal program.

There is a report this week that a non-profit group in Lewiston has received a $62 million loan as part of the ACA-defined program for setting up health insurance co-ops. The CEO, Kevin Lewis, comes from ten years at Maine Primary Care Association, an industry group of care providers focused on the "health care safety net". The cynical eye might see this as health care providers putting their heads together to figure out how to deal with the uninsured who show up at their doors. They have an ambitious schedule of developing their offerings and supporting infrastructure by 2014.

It should be noted that this doesn't seem to be a HIX, per se, but just a non-profit insurance company that will get subsidies for it's qualifying participants' premiums. Basically a private sector replacement of Dirigo Choice.