health care

The Senate Budget Bill, which just passed, eliminates Medicaid reimbursements to healthcare providers who perform abortions. Maine Family Planning provides services to about 40,000 Maine residents, half of whom rely on MaineCare, the state's Medicaid program.

House Speaker Ryan Fecteau joined the call to preserve cost-of-living increases for CNAs, home health aides and other workers to avoid worsening the existing staffing shortage.

The current contract expires at the end of September, but Anthem said it will be extended through the end of the year if the two organizations are still negotiating.

But the bill's $12 million price tag could be a challenge for lawmakers to cover given the state's budget constraints. And while the funding would not pay for abortions, Republicans were skeptical and accused Democrats of resisting efforts to make prohibition explicit.

Enrollment for the 2025 plan year runs through mid-January, but consumers need to choose a plan by mid-December in order to have coverage by the first of the year.

The report from the state Department of Labor projects a decrease in new job openings for administrative work and other professions more at risk of being replaced or streamlined by automation.

Nursing homes across the state are struggling with increased costs and an acute labor shortage.

Maine's Bureau of Insurance, which approved the rates, said the increases are driven by the high cost of health care services and prescription drugs.

Dr. Joe Anderson is a pediatric hospitalist and founder of the group Maine Providers for Gun Safety, which formed after the mass shootings in Lewiston. He said it's time for federal recognition of the health effects of gun violence.

The bill would protect health care professionals and others who assist transgender individuals who come to Maine from states where access to gender-affirming care is restricted or prohibited.