Vital Signs newsletter: Mainers pay average $99 a month for Obamacare plans

Maine consumers are paying about a third of the $282 per month they used to cough up to buy health insurance, new federal figures show. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report offered the first in-depth analysis of the prices consumers will pay for private plans offered through the federal government’s health insurance marketplace.

Americans who buy their own coverage in the “individual market,” rather than get health insurance through work or government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, have been among those hardest hit by big price hikes and skimpy coverage. Healthcare.gov aimed to change that.

Mainers are paying an average of $99 for monthly premiums from Healthcare.gov

Other top health stories this week:

Advocates for legalizing pot in Maine tout study showing no spike in teen use in states with medical marijuana

A study in the Journal of Adolescent Health found no increase in youth marijuana use in states that enacted medical marijuana laws.

Machias hospital names former CEO for Mayo Regional Hospital as interim CEO

Down East Community Hospital announced the appointment of Ralph Gabarro, who will fill the position formerly held by Doug Jones, following his abrupt departure from the hospital May 28.

From our bloggers

Diane Atwood, Catching Health

Is the CT scan your doctor ordered really necessary? Why you should ask.

A CT scan of the head delivers 100 times the amount of radiation of a typical chest X-ray.

Jim LaPierre, Recovery Rocks

Sometimes Healing Means Cutting Away the Dead & the Dying

I have been fed large doses of Morphine, Dilaudid, and Fentanyl, and while I appreciate the role they play in making my pain more manageable, I cannot stand how they affect me mentally and emotionally.

From the source

Maine ranks 10th in the country for meeting the long-term care needs of older residents, but crucial family caregivers are at risk of burnout, according to a new AARP scorecard.

Jackie Farwell

About Jackie Farwell

I'm the health editor for the Bangor Daily News, a Bangor native, a UMaine grad, and a weekend crossword warrior. I never get sick of writing about Maine people, geeking out over health care data, and finding new ways to help you stay well. I live in Gorham with my husband Nick and our hound dog Riley.