Government program threatens education funding – and the future
By Sen. Ken Blais, Sen. Chandler Woodcock, Rep. Darlene Curley and

Rep. Lois Snowe-Mello
Special to the Sun Journal

Gov. John Baldacci has sent a message to the Maine Legislature that he wants to feed Maine’s already bloated Medicaid program another $100 million of taxpayer-financed junk food. As Republican legislators, we believe that we should try to address Medicaid’s appetite now, before it ends up consuming everything in sight, including K-12 and higher education.

It really is that simple. The choice is that clear.

We can take the governor’s approach and continue to feed the Medicaid monster another $100 million with the promise to deal with the “real problem” later or we can make long-term choices now and ensure a better future.

To date, Gov. Baldacci and the Maine Democratic majority have been unwilling to make the tough choices and deal with the state’s entire $200 million Medicaid problem now. But, sadly, they expect everyone else to.

College students are being asked to pay more tuition, the elderly are being asked to pay more for prescription drugs, and pharmacies are being told to close down and lay off workers. Everyone is being asked to face tough consequences as a result of runaway Medicaid spending – everyone except the governor and the Maine Legislature. They have no plan to permanently fix the problem.

We think that approach is seriously flawed. Maine people deserve better. Maine Medicaid is out of control.

According to the governor’s own budget documents, Maine has the second most expensive Medicaid program per recipient out of the 50 states. The number of people on Medicaid has grown by 55,000 – that’s 33 percent – in just the last 24 months. We now have 242,000 Mainers on Medicaid. By comparison, New Hampshire has 94,000. We now have 20 percent of our under-65 population on Medicaid. This is a whopping 81 percent higher than the national average of just 11 percent of the under-65 population on Medicaid.

As bad as the Maine Medicaid problem is now, the governor is set to expand Medicaid by 78,000 more adults – a 32 percent expansion – beginning in July 2004.

That’s right: Maine Medicaid is already $200 million over budget, and that doesn’t even account for the expansion set to begin in July. This would result in more than 27 percent of Maine’s under-65 population being on Medicaid. This expansion could add another $90 million in annual costs to the Medicaid program. And that’s on top of the $200 million that we already know about. Maine Medicaid is out of control and unsustainable.

Maine Medicaid has an obesity problem. Let’s deal with it now.

January is a time for New Year’s resolutions. For many, the new year begins with a promise to change habits and trim down. Maine Medicaid needs a similar resolution. Instead, the governor’s supplemental budget says, “Don’t worry Medicaid; you can diet later after you are another $100 million heavier.” Is it easier to lose 15 pounds after gaining another 10?

We must make the tough choices now and permanently reform Medicaid before it consumes all other budget lines. The governor complains that there is not $250 million available for the state to fund K-12 education at 55 percent and provide property tax relief. Yet, the governor is completely willing to throw another $200 million at Medicaid with no comprehensive reforms.

Speaker of the House Patrick Colwell and President of the Senate Beverly Daggett formed a task force last summer to try and figure out why our college-educated young people are leaving Maine in droves. Yet, they have been alarmingly silent on the governor’s proposed cuts to the university and community college systems, which will inevitably force a tuition increase upon the students.

Where are our priorities? Is anyone thinking about Maine’s future? It is time to permanently fix Medicaid. To ignore or patch over the problem is the wrong approach and is a disservice to Maine people. The cost of ignoring the problem is another $200 million of taxpayer dollars needlessly spent.

We should not take this $200 million gamble. Let’s fix Maine’s Medicaid obesity problem now.

Republican Sen. Ken Blais represents Kennebec County; Sen. Chandler Woodcock, Franklin County; Rep. Darlene Curley, Scarborough; and Rep. Lois Snowe-Mello, Poland.

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