letter to the editor

No on Medicaid Expansion

Mon, 10/16/2017 - 4:00pm

Dear Editor:

Yet again the political football of health coverage is in play on the national stage. In Maine we have a referendum on Medicaid (MaineCare) Expansion which, on paper, as usual, is sold as a worthy cause but ...

Medicaid's original intention was to cover the elderly poor. It has been expanded almost beyond recognition to include pregnant women, poor parents, disabled and more. Now this this proposed Maine referendum on Nov. 7 will expand it even further. MaineCare is already underfunded and is unable to reduce the waiting list of those already covered. The funding is not there in the state budget and the system is experiencing delays in payment, fewer providers willing to take on new MaineCare patients and often reductions in reimbursement rates. 

The proposed Medicaid expansion will further challenge both the existing covered population and the state budget. How much extra will this cost per year? Numbers are hard to come by and generally estimates prove to be lower than actual costs. Presently the estimates range from $50 million to $100 million extra a year in a state that is unable to meet its many other existing obligations.

And, in Maine we have been down this road before with the Medicaid expansion in 2002. This ran up a deficit of approximately $750 million which was money not paid to hospitals and other providers. This debt was eventually paid off in but not before many hospitals had to close and many providers moved out of the system.

Should we go down that road again? Do we believe that it will be different this time?

The answer is no to both questions. And the responsible vote on Nov. 7 is also no.

Bill Coll, John O'Connell, Laura Honey, Lisa Orne Hallinan, Palmer Payne and Henry Rowe