VETERANS, WORKING MAINERS BENEFIT FROM HEALTH CARE EXPANSION

LePage wrong on who benefits from increased health care coverage

AUGUSTA — Democratic leaders of the Maine House and Senate said today that tens of thousands of working Mainers, sick Mainers, and nearly 3,000 veterans stand to benefit from health care expansion funded by the federal government.

Governor Paul LePage’s office released misleading information from a report about who would benefit from health care expansion under the Affordable Care Act.

“Governor LePage is spreading misinformation about a bill that would make it easier for more Maine families to see a family doctor when they are sick,” said Speaker of the House Mark Eves, D-North Berwick. “We are talking about tens of thousands of hard working Mainers who work as cashiers at our grocery and hardware stores, who care for our seniors, and nearly 3,000 veterans who served our country. These are the Maine people who will benefit from health care expansion.”

The Governor vetoed a bipartisan measure earlier this year that would have accepted the funds for three years. As result, nearly 25,000 low-income Mainers, including 15,000 parents, will lose coverage in January and 55,000 other low-income Mainers will not be eligible for health care coverage.

Navy veteran Tom Ptacek is among those who will lose his health care coverage in January.  Ptacek, who lives and works in Portland, served his country but has non-service related injuries that are not covered by the Veterans Administration.

“It is clear that the Governor does not want Mainers who work and are still poor to have the opportunity to see a doctor when they are sick,” said Senate President Justin Alfond of Portland. “It is time the Governor stop using misinformation and fear to pit Mainers against each other and join what doctors, hospitals, the business community, and many others know is the right economic and moral thing to do—expand health care to more Maine families.”

Under the Affordable Care Act, the federal government has pledged to pay 100 percent of the costs of health care for tens of thousands of Mainers for three years.

The state of Maine will lose out on $700,000 per day in federal health care dollars starting in January.

Estimates from the non-partisan Kaiser Foundation and the conservative Heritage Foundation show that Maine will save $690 million to cover nearly 70,000 Maine people over the course of a decade.  Maine is one of 10 states that will see Medicaid expenditures go down over 10 years.

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