Health care advocates are urging Maine's congressional delegation to protect against Republican proposals that would slash Medicaid funding by billions over the next decade and make changes to the Affordable Care Act.
Rita Furlow, a senior policy analyst at the Maine Children's Alliance, says more than half Maine children, some with complex medical conditions, rely on MaineCare, the state version of Medicaid, for health coverage.
"Most private insurance plans don't cover extremely expensive but essential services for children and families," Furlow says. "MaineCare ensures these children will receive the care they need without falling into financial ruin."
Ann Woloson, executive director of Consumers for Affordable Health Care, says more than 100,000 Mainers have access to health coverage because of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. She says when people are uninsured, they often delay care, which can require expensive treatments down the road.
"What does that mean for everybody else who's paying for health insurance, including our businesses, state employee programs, municipalities, our schools?" Woloson says. "It means that everybody — including businesses — pay more for commercial health insurance to make up for the cost of providing health care to everybody else who doesn't have health insurance."
Woloson and Furlow both say Medicaid coverage also helps support health care infrastructure, such as hospitals and health clinics.
