AUGUSTA — Supporters of the state’s Medicaid program say they are worried about potential cuts in federal funding that could reduce access to health insurance for thousands of Mainers.
Known as MaineCare, the health insurance program covers 400,000 low-income residents. At the State House Thursday, a state lawmaker and a physician lauded the program, saying the coverage is a vital part of keeping Mainers healthy.
“If we cut that, we are cutting the safety net of this country, of the state of Maine and people will get hurt,” said Dr. Jessica Faraci of Brunswick.
Republicans in Congress recently passed a budget resolution that calls for significant cuts in federal spending, which could include changes to Medicaid eligibility requirements.
The resolution directs the congressional committee that oversees Medicaid to find at least $880 billion in savings over 10 years.
It’s unclear how the cuts would work, but Republicans have said they will focus on finding “fraud, waste and abuse,” according to the Associated Press.
Rep. Drew Gattine (D-Westbrook) serves as House chairman of the Legislature’s budget writing committee. He said one in three people in Maine and nearly half of all children get their health care through MaineCare.
“Access to health care allows children to stay healthy and avoid health complications as they grow older,” Gattine said. “Increased access to Medicaid for children results in lower high school dropout rates, higher college enrollment and completion rates and higher wages later in life.”
At the state level, the MaineCare program has been in the headlines in recent months as the Legislature struggled to reach an agreement on an emergency budget to provide funding to hospitals and nursing homes.
Ultimately, Democrats pushed through an $11.3 billion two-year budget that includes $118 million to cover the funds owed to health care providers.
Republicans at the State House say the program is ripe for reform and covers far more people than New Hampshire, despite similar populations.
Assistant Senate Minority Leader Matt Harrington (R-Sanford) said during a recent press conference that some current MaineCare enrollees can afford to help pay for their coverage through the health care exchange.
“The issue here, and I think it’s vastly understated, is that it’s not sustainable,” he said. “We are going to get to a point where the system is going to bankrupt itself and then the folks who are truly needy, who have real disabilities and truly need the service, are not going to have it.”
MaineCare makes up about 25% of the state’s two-year budget or about $3 billion.
Faraci said while she and other physicians would like to see improvements to the program, they would lobby for an expansion not a contraction. About one-quarter of her patients are on MaineCare.
“This is a vital service for so many patients,” she said. “No matter what side of the aisle you are on, Republican, Democrat, blue or red, this is vital service our patients would not be able to get without this coverage.”
