Presented by Andrea L. Irwin, Esq., Policy Advocate for Consumers for Affordable Health Care

Congress passed and President Obama signed The Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law this past March.  Whether you get health coverage from your employer, a public program like Medicaid or Medicare, buy insurance on your own in the individual market, or don’t have insurance, the ACA will affect you!

Andrea will provide an overview of what the changes mean for you and your family.  We will cover changes to private insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare, and provide an update on how the state of Maine is preparing to implement the new law.

Please come prepared with questions to ask.  We anticipate a lively interactive discussion and hope that you will leave the presentation feeling better informed.

Consumers for Affordable Health Care (CAHC) is a non-profit, nonpartisan advocacy organization that has been fighting for affordable, quality health insurance for every man, woman, and child for over 20 years.  CAHC runs a consumer Help Line to provide information, referrals, and assistance to individuals about health coverage.  Call 1-800-965-7476, M-F from 8am – 4:30pm.

WHERE: United Way of Eastern Maine

 24 Springer Drive, Suite 201 Bangor, ME 04401-3655

WHEN:  Thursday, September 9^th

TIME: 12 PM to 2 PM

A Light Lunch will be provided

Please Pre-Register by: (space is limited) Monday, September 6^th

TO: Robin Levesque/ Maine Parent Federation  – Regional Support Coordinator

1-877-670-1854 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Find Out If You Qualify for the Maine Property Tax and Rent Refund Program

All applicants must be a Maine resident and lived in Maine for all of 2009. The maximum refund available is $1,600. 

You may qualify for a refund if:
 
-You do not have a spouse or dependent(s) and 2009 household income was $64,950 or less; or
-You do have a spouse or dependent(s) and your 2009 household income was $86,600 or less
 
AND
 
-Your 2009 property tax was more than 4% of your 2009 household income; or
-The rent you paid in 2009 was more than 20% of your 2009 household income.
 
NOTE: Seniors do not need to meet this requirement when their household income is below $14,700 for those living alone or below $18,200 for those living with a spouse or dependent. See the application booklet for more information on who qualifies for the senior portion of the program.

A senior is an individual who was 62 or over on December 31, 2009 (age 55 or over if disabled). An applicant is considered disabled if they receive federal disability payments. If married, both husband and wife must have received federal disability payments. 

How to Apply
If you would like to apply for the Circuit Breaker program, the program runs over a 10-month period from August 2010 through May 31, 2011. 

Generally, anyone who has filed an application for the previous year's program will receive a new application shortly after August 1st.  

If you have not received an application by the third week in August, you can download an application by clicking http://www.state.me.us/revenue/forms/tnr/10T&RBook_downloadable.pdf

or request an application from Maine Revenue Services by calling 624-7894 or write to:

Maine Revenue Services
SHS 24
Augusta, Maine 04333-0024

Mental Health America Launches Online Support Community

Connects Families, Friends, and Caregivers in Safe, Secure Environment

 Contact: Steve Vetzner, (703) 797-2588 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (July 26, 2010)—Mental Health America today announced it has launched the Mental Health America Support Community—a new online community that connects families, friends, and caregivers for support and inspiration.  

The community has been created in partnership with Inspire, which works with nonprofits to provide safe, online health and wellness communities to help members live mentally healthier lives.

Located at http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/community, the community will allow registered members to take part in moderated discussion groups and post personal journals, enabling them to support one another through their individual journeys and experiences.

Those joining the community will find coping strategies and answers to their questions, as well as vital support, compassion, encouragement, and inspiration from others sharing experiences similar to theirs. Registration is free; upon joining, members will have complete control of their privacy options and can communicate with others in a safe, secure environment.

“We know how important social support and connecting with others are to protecting our mental health and improving well-being,” said David Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO of Mental Health America. “This new community will allow more people to connect with each other, find valuable resources, and learn and gain inspiration from others.”

Brian Loew, CEO of Inspire said: "We are pleased to partner with Mental Health America. Through their partnership with Inspire, we hope that Mental Health America will be able to reach even more people and provide a place to support living mentally healthier lives. Helping people find others who are also dealing with these issues fills an overwhelming need. Mental Health America is a trusted organization and champion of those trying to lead mentally healthy lives. We are pleased to welcome them to the Inspire family." 

The Mental Health America Support Community features 20 discussion topics. Once they have registered, members can:

• Read and participate in discussions
• Post personal profiles – share as much or as little as they’d like about themselves
• Post personal photos or videos
• Invite other members to be friends
• Create a personal journal (or “blog”) where they can express their feelings and allow others to comment
• Read others’ journals to learn about their experiences

To be Held in Kennebunk from Aug 31 - Oct 19, 2010 

Kennebunk Counseling Center is offering a new outpatient therapy group for people who live with chronic pain. The Managing Chronic Pain group is an 8-week group intended for women seeking both professional and peer support for chronic pain in a nurturing environment. This group will offer a cognitive behavioral approach to coping with pain in order to achieve greater fulfillment in one's life.

Group members will develop increased insight as to how thoughts, feelings and behaviors impact the perception and experience of pain. Group members can reflect and gain support from one another, as well as practice relaxation and distraction techniques in order to manage their pain.

what: Managing Chronic Pain therapy group
when: August 31 - October 19, Tuesdays, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
where:
Kennebunk Counseling Center
2 Livewell Drive, Suite 202, Kennebunk
counselor: Mary Ann Roy, PsyD

FMI: 207.467.3369

Crossroads for Women accepts MaineCare, private insurance and self-pay.