medicaid

The president's "One Big Beautiful Bill" contains significant cuts to Medicaid, which state officials and hospital representatives say could further strain rural hospitals already struggling to stay afloat.

Maine is required by law to have balanced budget and the Trump domestic policy bill is expected to result in billions in lost federal aid for Medicaid and food assistance. It's unclear when state lawmakers might have to patch such a hole because Republicans delayed implementation of some cuts until after the 2026 midterm elections.

The complaint alleges that Medicaid records shared with the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to verify Medicaid eligibility were accessed by DOGE and given to the Dept of Homeland Security for immigration enforcement.

Nurses rallied in Portland today against the proposed Medicaid cuts in the budget bill that they say prevent thousands of Mainers from receiving the care they need.

Sen. Susan Collins cast a pivotal vote in pushing Trump's "big beautiful bill" past a key procedural hurdle step over the weekend but said Monday that changes to Medicaid are "problematic."

The Democratic governor laid out her concerns in a letter to the state's congressional delegation this week as the Senate continues work on the bill, which contains key aspects of President Trump's domestic agenda.

More than 38,000 adult Mainers with disabilities are enrolled in MaineCare, the state version of Medicaid. Advocates say the future of programs that help people with disabilities live in the community is at risk if Congress slashes hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid as proposed under the pending budget bill.

Mills said it would make steep cuts to Medicaid in order to help fund tax breaks for the wealthy.

Democratic state lawmakers are sounding alarms about proposed federal cuts and work requirements for Medicaid- known in the state as MaineCare- which they say would be extremely detrimental to Mainers who rely on the program.

But the fate of the measure remains unclear despite bipartisan support for filling the nearly $120 million shortfall in the state's Medicaid program.