Senate enacts Claxton bill to protect access to care for rural and low-income Mainers

AUGUSTA – On Monday, April 25, a bill from Sen. Ned Claxton, D-Auburn, was enacted in the Maine Senate. LD 1787, “An Act To Improve the Quality and Affordability of Primary Health Care Provided by Federally Qualified Health Centers,” would protect rural and low-income Mainers’ access to health care by preserving funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

“FQHCs connect Mainers across the state with comprehensive health care that they may not have received otherwise,” said Sen. Claxton. “The range of services they provide in our communities is invaluable, and this bill is about making sure these centers can remain open and continue providing for folks in need. I thank my colleagues for their support in getting the bill to the Governor’s desk.”

Federally Qualified Health Centers provide health care services in underserved areas without regard to an individual’s insurance status or ability to pay. In Maine, there are a total of 144 FQHCs, with sites across the state that serve over 200,000 residents. They use federal funding, grants and donor funds to provide health care for Mainers who cannot afford care otherwise. Charges for patients who are on Medicaid, MaineCare or private insurance are billed by the clinics as usual.

Many FQHCs in Maine have struggled financially, however, largely due to outdated MaineCare reimbursement rates that were set nearly 20 years ago. LD 1787 would update the “base year” from 1999 to 2019, providing more accurate reimbursement rates for providers. This rebasing process requires consideration of any changes in services provided, prospective rates versus actual costs, and inflation. The updated reimbursement rates will allow FQHCs to remain viable and continue providing health care services to underserved populations.

The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Janet Mills, who has 10 days to sign the bill into law, veto it, or allow it become law without her signature.

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