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House Moves to Block MaineCare Cuts

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine's Department of Health and Human Services has indicated it wants to change the payment rates for various services under Maine's version of Medicaid, called MaineCare.

The changes would be through rulemaking, and Rep. Drew Gattine, a Democrat from Westbrook, urged that process be delayed until lawmakers can review the rules next January.

"These rate cuts will result in huge revenue losses for mental health agencies across Maine," Gattine said, "and providers made it clear when they came before the HHS [Health and Human Services] Committee that they cannot absorb these cuts."

LD 1696 is a resolve that would delay the rule-making.  The House passed the bill 85 to 61, and it faces further votes.

Rep. Deborah Sanderson, a Republican from Chelsea, says the bill is not needed because DHHS officials say they will not start the formal rule-making process until the fall, so any proposed rules can be reviewed by the next Legislature.

Journalist Mal Leary spearheads Maine Public's news coverage of politics and government and is based at the State House.