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Earlier today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree hosted a roundtable discussion to highlight how proposed Republican cuts to Medicaid (known in Maine as MaineCare)—which could run as high as $900 billion—will have devastating repercussions for patients, health care professionals, patient-care facilities, and communities throughout Maine. 

During the hour-long meeting, participants shared their perspectives on how these looming cuts will impact Mainers—from forcing community health centers and rural hospitals to close; to the pressure that providers will face if hundreds of thousands of Mainers suddenly lose coverage; to how a surge in uninsured patients will require significantly more funding from the state. 

“What Republicans are trying to do to Medicaid—eliminating coverage for millions of Americans while the cost of living continues to increase, all so they can pay for tax cuts for the richest Americans—is totally unacceptable. Democrats have made it abundantly clear that we will not stand for any cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, or Social Security,” Pingree said. “Today, we heard from—and about—the very people who will suffer the most from these cuts. Their fear and concern are real, and reflect the anxiety that many Mainers are feeling right now. I’m so grateful to all the participants for coming out and making their voices heard, as so many Americans are doing right now. I hope my Republican colleagues are listening. Cuts to Medicaid will make Americans poorer and sicker. If Republicans really care about balancing the budget, they’ll make billionaires pay their fair share in taxes—not rip vital services away from vulnerable Americans so Donald Trump and Elon Musk can rake in millions.”

Click here to download photos from today’s event.

Participants included Carter Friend, CEO of York County Community Action and Nasson Health Center in Sanford; Dr. Booth Dargis, Primary Care Physician at Stephens Hospital in Norway; April Tardiff, a resident of Old Orchard Beach whose son relies on MaineCare for critical services; Tom Doherty, Executive Director at Milestone Recovery; as well as two representatives from Maine Equal Justice (Policy Advocate Alex Carter, and Community Organizer Allina Diaz—who also shared her own personal story about the important role MaineCare has played in her life). 

Medicaid (also known as MaineCare) is a lifeline for more than 350,000 Mainers—including children, people with disabilities, seniors in long term care, and working adults, among others. It’s also a critical source of revenue for patient-care facilities, which rely on Medicaid reimbursements for everything from paying doctors to updating equipment. The House and Senate are currently trying to reconcile a budget resolution agreement that could require deep cuts to the program–all to pay for more than $4 trillion in tax cuts proposed by Republicans. 

“This morning's conversation about Medicaid in Maine can't come at a more important moment, as Congress considers cuts to Medicaid and other critical programs, threatening to roll back the health care progress we’ve made in Maine,” said Alex Carter, Policy Advocate at Maine Equal Justice. “That would go against the will of Maine voters who supported Medicaid expansion. It would hurt our rural hospitals, our economy, and the Maine people and families who rely on Medicaid to get the health care they need." 

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