AUGUSTA — Maine lawmakers Wednesday said they want a “Plan B” for a $40 million non-emergency ride program that’s foundered since it was transferred to the hands of third-party brokers in August. “I know in my community there are still very, very significant problems,” state Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, said Wednesday. Rotundo is House chairwoman […]
Medicaid
Posted inLocal & State
Lawmakers continue scrutiny of MaineCare ride program
AUGUSTA — The executives in charge of a new brokerage system for delivering non-emergency rides, under a program offered through MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid system, say they have largely corrected many of the problems that led to confusion, frustration and missed medical appointments earlier this fall. But advocates for those who receive the rides and […]
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Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
LePage holds firm in opposition to Medicaid expansion, but GOP legislator says negotiations continue
AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage is watching closely as Republican governors in other states find ways to expand their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act, but so far LePage is not ready to propose anything that would lead to an expansion in Maine. However, Assistant Senate Minority Leader Roger Katz, R-Augusta, said his push […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Charles Dingman: Facts support accepting health care funds
During this past legislative session, two issues dominated the debate on health care. The first was the desire to repay old obligations to Maine’s hospitals, some of which dated back for several years. The second was the opportunity to open up access to health care for nearly 70,000 Mainers by accepting federal funds. In both […]
Posted inLetters
In rebuttal, Rep. Richard Malaby: Insurmountable indebtedness
In his recent guest column (Sept. 29), Rich Livingston, president of the AARP of Maine, was sadly mistaken about medical welfare expansion and Maine’s decision not to do it. He said that if Maine doesn’t spend the money to expand its Medicaid program, the funds will just go to other states instead, and that Mainers […]
Posted inLetters
In rebuttal, R. Reed: Half-truths don’t become facts
This is in response to the guest columns by Heidi Brooks and Rich Livingston (Sept. 29). It is clear the Democrats will use any trick in the book to make people believe that the expansion of Medicaid services is wonderful. Half-truths and twisted logic repeated often enough do not suddenly become facts. Twenty-five years working […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Heidi Brooks: Health care is a human right
On Sept. 15, the Sun Journal published a piece co-authored by several Republican legislators regarding the debate about whether Maine should accept federal funds for health care. A cornerstone of the Affordable Care Act is that states accept funds to provide 69,500 of Maine’s lowest income people health care through MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program. […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Rich Livingston: Saving lives by any name has to be a good thing
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 […]
Posted inOur View
Editorial was misquoted in response
Responding to a Sun Journal editorial Sunday, four Maine legislators quoted a Sun Journal editorial several times, but once in error. The editorial in question never said the expansion of Medicaid in Maine would be funded by “free money,” as reported by Sen. Jim Hamper and Reps. Richard Malaby, Deb Sanderson and Heather Sirocki. The expansion […]
Posted inOur View, sj-web
Glad to get that big debt off our backs
All Mainers should stand a bit taller today knowing we have finally paid off some big debts we have been lugging around for a long time. Gov. Paul LePage visited Central Maine Medical Center on Wednesday to deliver an oversized Publishers Clearing House-style check for $43.4 million. There should be no doubt that the governor […]