I am writing in support of your Jan. 13 editorial, “Our View: Anti-expansion stance keeps Maine’s uninsured rate from falling.”
At the Oasis Free Clinics in Brunswick, we see on a daily basis the impact of the Maine state government’s decision not to expand Medicaid. This effectively leaves a large number of Maine citizens ineligible for either Medicaid or insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
Our patients, who earn less than $320 per week as a single person, fall through the cracks in our current health care system.
For decades, Oasis has served as a critical part of the health care safety net, providing primary medical and dental care to individuals in our area who do not have access to health insurance and who earn less than 175 percent of the federal poverty level.
Relying on Oasis and other free clinics in this state is not a long-term, sustainable solution.
The lack of access to high-quality, affordable health care for our most vulnerable residents has been shown to increase the overall cost of health care while decreasing quality of care. Every day our government in Maine fails to expand Medicaid costs Maine residents nearly $1 million a day in federal health care subsidies.
Thirty-two states, most recently Louisiana, have recognized the benefits of expanding Medicaid and have done so in a bipartisan way.
Until our government officials come to the table with a better plan, expansion of Medicaid is the best option to close the care gap.
Richard Corbin, M.D.
medical director, Oasis Free Clinics
Brunswick
Send questions/comments to the editors.
