On Nov. 9, a majority of voters (59 percent) voted for Maine to expand Medicaid to serve more than 70,000 Mainers. Immediately, Gov. Paul LePage stated that he would block the expansion. That is after he blocked expansion five times when the state Legislature approved it in the past. The federal government is contracted to furnish 95 percent of the expansion funding. Maine has the resources for the 5 percent balance, without cutting other programs.
My concern is twofold: The 70,000 people who make as little as $16,000 a year cannot afford health care and, without the expansion, they don’t qualify for Medicaid. These are working families who often have to choose between food and medicine. I am also very concerned about the stability of rural hospitals. When people don’t have health insurance, emergency rooms become their source of health services. We all know how expensive that is and the hospitals are the ones that bear the cost.
The good news is that if Gov. LePage unblocked the Medicaid expansion, it is estimated that the expansion would bring in $500 million a year, supporting more than 6,000 jobs.
Maine’s representatives and senators should put pressure on Gov. LePage to unblock what voters approved. Maine voters were clear — expand Medicaid and provide access to health care to more than 70,000 people.
Emily Ecker, Woodstock
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