AUGUSTA – DirigoChoice has been certified by the federal government, allowing certain laid-off workers in Maine to use available tax credits to obtain the state sponsored health insurance, according to Gov. John Baldacci.

“The federal government’s certification of DirigoChoice will increase access to affordable health insurance for those in Maine who have been laid off through no fault of their own,” Baldacci said in a statement released Friday.

Under the Health Coverage Tax Credits program, the federal government provides a 65 percent tax credit for qualified workers and their families for insurance premiums. The program is open to qualified employees who were laid off from their manufacturing jobs due to foreign trade and are eligible to receive trade readjustment assistance.

DirigoChoice already offers discounts to individuals and families with incomes less than 300 percent of the Federal Eligibility Level, or $28,700 for an individual; $56,550 for a family of four. Discounts are on monthly payments, annual deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. The federal HCTC subsidy is applied after the DirigoChoice discounts are taken into account.

For more information on DirigoChoice, visit http://www.dirigohealth.maine.gov. For more information on HCTC, call the Maine Department of Labor at (888) 457-8883 or visit www.mainecareercenter.com/job-seekers/HCTCinformational.pdf.