I write with regard to the proposed state budget. Disregarding the referendum results, the governor would, once again, reduce revenue sharing and necessary programs — the Homestead Exemption, the General Assistance Program, Maine Care and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, to name a few. That would mean, among other losses, less money to continue to […]
MaineCare
Posted inMaine
Mary Mayhew asks Trump administration for more MaineCare cuts
On the same day that advocates for expanding Medicaid coverage delivered more than 67,000 signatures to secure a public referendum on the issue, the state asked the new administration in Washington to let it scale back the federal health care program for the poor. For Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew, […]
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Posted inLetters
Disdain for people’s health
I find it totally ironic that Gov. Paul LePage had bariatric surgery. The Sun Journal (Jan. 12) quoted LePage, “It really is the right thing to do if health issues come in,” after his doctor warned him that he risked developing diabetes if he didn’t lose weight. The governor dodged questions about who paid for […]
Posted inFranklin
Wide-ranging views on MaineCare presented at legislative forum
Editor’s note: This is the second of three articles on a legislative candidates forum held at the University of Maine at Farmington on Wednesday. The second question posed to the candidates was: Are you for or against MaineCare? Please explain why. FARMINGTON — When local legislative candidates met at a forum organized by the Franklin County […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Mental health service providers concerned about proposed MaineCare rate changes
AUGUSTA — Providers of mental health services are facing major changes in how much they are paid for services they offer to thousands of mentally ill Mainers who rely on publicly funded MaineCare health insurance. Preliminary proposals by a consultant hired by the Department of Health and Human Services to examine its rate structure include […]
Posted inRiver Valley
Med-Care budget to hold steady
MEXICO — Med-Care Ambulance will keep its budget at $24 per capita, Selectman Reggie Arsenault told the Board of Selectmen at its Dec. 15 meeting. Arsenault, who represents Mexico on the Med-Care Board, said that after two budget meetings, the Med-Care budget was passed on Dec. 9. “The revenue stream on the paying part is showing […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
ACLU, abortion providers sue DHHS over MaineCare rule
AUGUSTA — Abortion providers and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the state Tuesday in a bid to overturn a longstanding rule limiting low-income women’s access to a state-funded abortion. It’s buried deep within a set of rules developed in 1981 and last revised in 2010, before Gov. Paul LePage took office. […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
MaineCare transportation costs rose 12 percent in 2014
PORTLAND — State documents say the MaineCare transportation program cost $5.4 million more to operate in the 2014-15 fiscal year than previous years. The Portland Press Herald reports the $50.3 million spent in 2014-15 was 12 percent higher than the $44.9 million cost a year earlier. The program came under fire in 2013 for missed […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Lewiston’s mayor supports change to tighten lead exposure laws in Maine
AUGUSTA — Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald said the poorest children in his city have enough obstacles to overcome in their lives and he hopes state lawmakers will work to make sure lead poisoning is no longer one of them. Testifying before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on Monday, Macdonald said he supports a […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine senators, LePage seek federal aid for winter storm costs
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King are joining Republican Gov. Paul LePage in urging the federal government to provide assistance to towns still grappling with the costs of the January blizzard. Collins and King are asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to approve LePage’s request to declare a major disaster and […]