The Dirigo Health program in 2007 saved Maine's health care system $48.7 million -- a much lower amount than the $149.8 million estimate approved by the Dirigo agency board in July, according to a formal determination by Insurance Superintendent Mila Kofman.

Dirigo's enabling legislation allows the state to assess health insurers with savings offset payments (SOP) up to the amount of savings generated by the program, capped at 4 percent of paid claims.

Last year, the board set the SOP at $32.8 million, or 1.74 percent of paid claims. Kofman reduced suggested hospital savings initiatives from $119.4 million to $40 million; she reduced credit for uninsured/underinsured savings initiatives from $23.6 million to $6.1, and she deleted $4 million she identified as double-counting.

In April, the legislature sought to replace the SOP with a 1.8 percent surcharge on paid claims and tax increases on beer, wine, and soda (L.D. 2247), but these taxes are on hold pending the outcome of a citizen-initiated referendum to repeal them to be voted on in November.