WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump seems destined to serve his 100th day in office without House passage of a major Republican health care bill or enactment of a budget financing the government for the rest of this year. But at least the government probably won’t be shut down — for at least another week. […]
health care
Posted inLocal & State
Lawmakers may mandate insurance coverage for hearing aids
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers were listening when a Lewiston legislator proposed that insurance provide coverage for hearing aids. The Insurance and Financial Affairs Committee this week gave its unanimous backing to the bill by Rep. Jim Handy, D-Lewiston, that would require insurers pay up to $3,000 per hearing aid for those who need them. “That’s very […]
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Posted inNation / World
Government shutdown, health bill rescue at stake in Congress
In this April 4, 2017, file photo, the Capitol is seen at dawn in Washington. Bipartisan bargainers are making progress toward a budget deal to prevent a partial federal shutdown this weekend, a major hurdle overcome when President Donald Trump signaled he would put off his demand that the measure include money to build his […]
Posted inLocal & State
Legislature holds bill that would make insurers pay for naturopathic treatments
AUGUSTA — A Maine bill designed to prevent insurers from discriminating against naturopathic health care providers will likely have to wait several months to determine its potential impact on the insurance industry. The bill was submitted on behalf of the Maine Association of Naturopathic Doctors and opposed by state superintendent of insurance Eric Cioppa. The […]
Posted inLocal & State
Susan Collins says she’s not talking health care with House conservatives
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins denied Friday that she’s been talking with the conservative House Freedom Caucus about a possible health care bill. The Maine Republican said she “choked on my cereal” when she saw that CNBC Senior Contributor Larry Kudlow had claimed she’d been “in discussion and successfully negotiating” with the caucus chairman, U.S. Rep. […]
Posted inNation / World
Feds support states that want work requirements for Medicaid
WASHINGTON — A simple question — should adults who are able to work be required to do so to get taxpayer-provided health insurance? — could lead to major changes in the social safety net. The federal-state Medicaid program for low-income and disabled people covers more than 70 million U.S. residents — about 1 in 5 […]
Posted inNation / World
White House pushes uncertain bid to revive health care bill
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, April 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) WASHINGTON (AP) — Eager for a victory, the White House expressed confidence Thursday that a breakthrough on the mired Republican health care bill could […]
Posted inLetters
The fake freedom of Trumpcare
I wish Americans could experience the freedom of knowing that health care will always be there, regardless of income. How much less stressful would life be if people did not have to fear that one serious illness could destroy the life they have worked for. Republicans would have the public believe that not having health […]
Posted inLocal & State
Lawmakers push to add more public health nurses
A virulent flu that reached Maine early in the autumn of 1918 quickly overwhelmed the capacity of authorities to deal with a sudden public health emergency. By early October, Lewiston and Auburn had shut down schools, churches, theaters, pool rooms and dance halls — indeed, almost everything except Bates College and key war industries — […]
Posted inLocal & State
Insurers say Trump administration must do more to stabilize ‘Obamacare’
In this Feb. 9, 2017, file photo, the HealthCare.gov website, where people can buy health insurance, is displayed on a laptop screen in Washington. Something new is happening in a health care debate dominated for seven years by the twists and turns of Barack Obama’s signature law. The focus has shifted to ideas from President […]