Maine Governor Vetoes Bill Mandating Increased Coverage of Mental Health Disorders

Maine Gov. Angus King (I) vetoed a bill (LD 1627) on April 16 that would have required health plans to cover a greater number of mental health disorders, the Bangor Daily News reports. The bill would have expanded a 1995 state mental health parity law that required health plan policies held by businesses with at least 20 employees to cover treatment of seven mental illnesses. The proposed legislation would have boosted the number of illnesses health plans must cover to more than 40 (Higgins, Bangor Daily News, 4/17). While proponents of the bill said it would have saved the state more than $1 million annually in health care costs, opponents said it also would have increased private health plan premiums by more than 1% (Huang, Portland Press Herald, 4/5). In vetoing the bill, King said it would have gone "considerably beyond" the 1995 law. "As we look for ways to reduce the costs of health care, we must not exacerbate the problem by adding new mandates," he added. The state Legislature will meet April 24 to try to override the veto, but state Rep. Benjamin Dudley (D), who sponsored the bill, said such an action is "unlikely" to be successful (Bangor Daily News, 4/17).