The organization that represents physicians in Maine has issued a policy statement that calls for universal health care on both the state and federal level.
The statement was prompted by growing frustration among physicians about the complexities of the current health care system that interfere with patient care "that result in needless patient illness and suffering, and, in some cases, death," says Dr. Erik Steele, immediate past-president of the Maine Medical Association. "And are progressively frustrating physicians to the point that more and more of them are burning out and thinking about leaving practice."
Steele says this is the first time the 4,000-member organization has called on the state to achieve universal access to care through universal insurance. It's urging lawmakers and the governor to establish such a system by the end of 2027.
