Senate unanimously approves nominee to lead Maine’s Office of Affordable Health Care

President Jackson (far right) with Megan Garratt-Reed (second from the right) and her family shortly before the Senate confirmation vote.
AUGUSTA – Today, the Maine Senate unanimously voted to confirm the nomination of Megan Garratt-Reed to lead the Office of Affordable Health Care. The Office of Affordable Health Care is an independent agency established by the Legislature through legislation sponsored by Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash. 
“The Office of Affordable Health Care reflects the need for a nonpartisan, independent state agency that is dedicated to identifying meaningful, evidence-based steps the Legislature can take to make health care more affordable and accessible for the people we represent. This will be an enormous undertaking but Megan Garratt-Reed has proven that she has what it takes to build and successfully lead this type of state agency,” said President Jackson. “I am confident that the entire state will benefit from her commitment to the pursuit of evidence-based policies that make health care work for more Mainers.”
Garratt-Reed previously served as the Director of the Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace within the Department of Health and Human Services. Her nomination was the subject of a confirmation hearing before the Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee.
“Taking a wider look at the health care system as a whole will help the Legislature approach future health care reform in a way that addresses the underlying issues causing cost increases, rather than only looking to resolve the symptoms of those issues as they arise. Megan Garrett-Reed is uniquely qualified to take up this considerable charge,” said Sen. Donna Bailey, D-Saco, Senate Chair of the Legislature’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee. “Perhaps most important and impressive is her commitment to following the data and pursuing evidence-based approaches to making health care more affordable and more accessible.”
The newly created Office of Affordable Health Care will serve as a nonpartisan authority looking at data-driven strategies to rein in health care spending and improve access to quality care. The Office is governed by an Advisory Council, which will make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature. The Council is made up of 13 members, including two non-voting members – the Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner, and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services Commissioner.
 
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