AUGUSTA (AP) — Republican gubernatorial candidate Paul LePage on Thursday accused Democrats, including Blaine House rival Libby Mitchell, of doing too little to pay down a nearly $400 million debt that the state owes hospitals for Medicaid services. “Decisions made in Augusta are putting a burden on the backs of Maine hospitals,” LePage said following […]
MaineCare
Posted inLetters
Committed to health care
We thank Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins for their support of the extension of emergency funding for Medicaid, known as MaineCare. In joining Reps. Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree to support this funding, our entire congressional delegation rose above politics and demonstrated their commitment to health care and the people of Maine. We are […]
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Posted inSpecials
Raise your hand if you want to live in a nursing home
Certified Elder Law Attorney In my many years of practice as an elder law attorney, one thing has emerged as a universal desire of nearly everyone I have met: to stay out of the nursing home. When contemplating aging, most people are quite adamant that they wish to stay in their own home and many […]
Posted inOpinion
MaineCare is needed now, more than ever
The insurance program must expand when the economy retracts. More and more people are losing their jobs in Maine and across the country — and with it their employer-provided health insurance. Thankfully, some of these households, primarily those with children, are able to fall back on MaineCare — Maine’s Medicaid program — to protect them […]
Posted inOpinion
Dentists offer free care
Maine dentists provide millions of dollars of free and reduced-cost treatment to Maine citizens annually. And, despite MaineCare reimbursements that do not even cover the cost of treatment, a higher percentage of Maine dentists participate in the Medicaid program than in many other states. General dentists, oral surgeons and other specialists volunteer at free clinics in […]
Posted inOpinion
It’s time for MaineCare reform
MaineCare is the second-largest expenditure from the state’s general fund, at more than $600 million annually, which is still not enough to cover its costs. The state still owes hospitals millions for past MaineCare services, and the program itself may go bankrupt by May 8, unless a budget is passed, which would unlock federal help. […]
Posted inOpinion
Preserve funds, pay debts
A large percentage of patients served by Central Maine Medical Center’s primary care practices are insured through MaineCare. Given the fact that so many physicians in private practice are limiting their numbers of MaineCare patients, it is particularly important that the many dedicated physicians and nurse practitioners employed by CMMC continue to provide high quality […]
Posted inOpinion
Pay your bills, Maine
Dating back to 2005, the state of Maine, through its MaineCare program, owes Central Maine Medical Center, Rumford and Bridgton hospitals tens of millions of dollars. Try not paying yours bills for that long and see what happens. That debt continues to grow at nearly $1 million per month. The state offers and promotes the […]
Posted inOpinion
I give, but state won’t
Why does the state of Maine have laws when Maine itself does not abide by them? I have been told that MaineCare owes Central Maine Medical Center, Rumford and Bridgton hospitals $61 million, from as far back as 2005. What MaineCare owes each of these hospitals grows larger each day. Last month, Gov. John Baldacci […]
Posted inMaine
State grants nearly 1,200 waivers to two-year methadone cap
AUGUSTA — A law that took effect Jan. 1, designed to save the state money by cutting MaineCare patients’ methadone treatments after two years, has so far resulted in 20 people losing coverage, according to early figures from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. So far, another 1,197 have received waivers to stay […]