There has been quite a lot of verbal ping pong, much of it played out on the pages of the Sun Journal, about whether Medicaid should be called “welfare,” or not. What possible difference does that make to the lives of people who would or would not have access to life-saving health care depending on how the program is funded and implemented, rather than what it is called?

Clearly, much of the rhetoric about the subject is meant to be diversionary, pejorative, or otherwise to distract from the urgent necessity to implement expanded Medicaid coverage in Maine as soon as possible. Doing so will save lives from Day One, of course, and it will also help reduce health care costs for the rest of us, inject hundreds of millions of dollars into the Maine economy, create jobs (health care is the largest private-sector employer in Lewiston-Auburn), and help elevate medical decision-making out of politics, where such things clearly do not belong.

At issue is the need for the leaders in the Maine Legislature to rise above partisanship or ideology and support the wishes of the majority; to override the governor’s veto of expanding Medicaid health care coverage under a program that will provide federal funding to cover 100 percent of the costs for the next three years.

Opponents claim those people who support expansion do not take federal money seriously enough. In fact, four members of the Legislature wrote a guest column that appeared in the Sun Journal on Sept. 15, which they began by saying “For now, we’ll put aside the fact that in addition to paying state taxes, we also pay federal taxes which would be the source of this ‘free money.’”

We can’t just put that “aside.” We do, in fact, pay both state and local taxes, and we Mainers have already contributed our full share to the federal escrow account that will be used to reimburse states for this new coverage.

At issue is whether the money people have already paid into the account will be returned to them or distributed to other states; whether we get our money back to help our families, friends and neighbors, or we provide other states with this funding.

Does labeling this reimbursement system “welfare” mean that we should not accept our own money?

The Maine Center for Economic Policy reports that 5,829 people in Androscoggin County alone, who would otherwise be denied, would be provided health insurance under that program. Even the conservative Heritage Foundation published a 2013 report stating that Maine would save almost $700 million through this measure.

Thousands of Mainers have lost their jobs and cannot afford health insurance, or are working in jobs without health benefits.

Think of the Mainers who work in restaurants, on fishing and whale watch boats and who care for aging parents and children. Expanding affordable health coverage would help more than 16,000 Mainers of ages 50 to 64 who find themselves in this situation and who currently do not qualify for Medicaid health coverage.

It seems to me this is common sense: If there is a way to help residents get back on their feet after losing their jobs, the state should take advantage of that opportunity.

In 2013, Maine missed the initial chance to accept millions of dollars in federal funds to offer residents health insurance, as well as reduce hospital debt and charity care. Elected leaders must be encouraged to do the right thing in 2014 and expand health care coverage for hardworking Mainers.

That is possible while also protecting those programs important to seniors, such as Drugs for the Elderly and the Medicare Savings Program — programs that have continually been on the chopping block. Those are the very programs that save the state money and help the most at-risk residents stay in their own homes and communities where they want to be.

Accepting Mainers’ money back in order to expand Medicaid coverage will also interject $30,700,000 in new money into the local economy each year, according to the same MCEP study, and create 378 new jobs in Androscoggin County alone.

That is why all of the health care provider organizations in the state, including doctors, nurses, hospital groups, disease-specific advocacy nonprofits, patient advocacy groups (including AARP), economic development advocates and others have joined the unique Cover Maine Now coalition which has more than 85 members.

It is essential to move beyond politics. Let us remember the working poor and the Mainers-helping-Mainers ethic. Instead of resorting to name-calling, let’s get this done.

Rich Livingston of Auburn is president of AARP of Maine.

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