Gov. Paul LePage has continued the push to cut Medicaid in an effort to close a projected shortfall in the state Department of Health and Human Services’ budget, and denounced a plan from the Maine Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee this week.
Despite public outcry from voters and this new proposal from the appropriations committee, LePage is determined to make deep cuts to the state’s program ”“ known here as MaineCare ”“ by $221 million.
Recently, the Journal Tribune reported on how the governor’s cuts may impact local residents.
Nancy O’Connell, a 75-year-old Biddeford resident, who survives solely on Social Security income and lives in subsidized housing, said without assistance from the Drugs for the Elderly program, just one of her medications would cost $600 a month. The program is one that may be cut if LePage’s plan moves forward, and people like O’Connell may be forced to choose between medications and other necessities like food, rent or heat.
Jessica Maurer, executive director of the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging, said in an interview, “Maine’s low-income seniors are already struggling to pay for food, heat, housing and health care. If these cuts go into effect, some seniors will stop taking their medication as prescribed and will have serious health consequences ”“ costing us all more in the end. These programs provide a critical health safety net for Maine’s most vulnerable seniors and disabled people. These cuts are penny-wise and pound foolish.”
The Southern Maine Agency on Aging estimates 72,000 Maine seniors and disabled people would lose some or all of the assistance they receive to pay for insurance premiums or prescription drug costs under LePage’s plan.
Although LePage has said Medicaid in Maine is covering too many “healthy young adults,” the fact is that these drastic cuts would affect more than just those young people or those who may not be the most in need.
Beyond just the effects on local elderly residents already struggling, the cost of not paying for preventative care and managing their health issues will increase if these people lose the ability to seek medical services before a crisis.
According to Southern Maine Medical Center spokeswoman Sue Hadiaris, York County’s three hospitals ”“ SMMC in Biddeford, Goodall Hospital in Sanford and York Hospital in York ”“ estimate the indirect impact of the proposed cuts would be $5.2 million annually in additional costs to the hospitals ”“ with nearly half of that incurred by SMMC.
The added hit will be a rise in the cost of health insurance premiums to Maine residents and business owners. Such increases make the state less “business friendly” to current and prospective employers considering making Maine their home.
It’s time for the governor to starting listening to his constituents, legislators and health care experts to create a plan that will not hurt the state’s, in his words, “most vulnerable” ”“ the seniors, disabled and children who benefit from Medicaid. His proposals should also reflect his mantra: “Open for business.”
Using policy to target reforms to ensure Medicaid is not being used by those who are not the “most vulnerable” is a better way to make the program more efficient, rather than picking a number and seeing where the chips fall.
We hope legislators will continue to stand up against cuts that will hurt Mainers most in need and fight to make the right, sensible decisions to keep the state’s budget in line and not pass off the costs to someone else.
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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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