Maine governor says he won't implement voter-approved Medicaid expansion without full funding

Becker's Hospital Review ^ | November 10, 2017 | Kelly Gooch

[buckalfa]

On Tuesday, Maine became the 32nd state to approve Medicaid expansion and the first to do so via referendum. But Republican Gov. Paul LePage is pushing back.

In a statement released the day after the vote, the governor referenced costs associated with the initiative, saying taxpayers would be on the hook for "hundreds of millions of dollars."

"The last time Maine experimented with Medicaid expansion in 2002 under then-Gov. Angus King, it created a $750 million debt to hospitals, resulted in massive budget shortfalls every year, did not reduce emergency room use, did not reduce the number of uninsured Mainers and took resources away from our most vulnerable residents — the elderly and the intellectually and physically disabled," Mr. LePage said.

He went on to say he will not implement Medicaid expansion without full funding from state lawmakers.

"Credit agencies are predicting that this fiscally irresponsible Medicaid expansion will be ruinous to Maine's budget," he said. "Therefore, my administration will not implement Medicaid expansion until it has beeng fully funded by the legislature at the levels [the Maine] DHHS [Department of Health and Human Services] has calculated, and I will not support increasing taxes on Maine families, raiding the rainy day fund or reducing services to our elderly or disabled."

Maine Senate Democratic leader Troy Jackson responded in his own statement, indicating that Democrats will fight efforts to stop full implementation of the voters' wishes.

"Democrats will not give an inch in this fight, because it is a matter of life and death. We will give no quarter to anyone who tries to take healthcare away from those hardworking Mainers who have been allowed to fall through the cracks for too long," he said.

Maine Equal Justice Partners, a liberal advocacy group, put the Medicaid expansion issue on the November ballot after Mr. LePage vetoed multiple legislative attempts to expand coverage to more low-income residents. If Medicaid expansion is fully implemented, approximately 80,000 Mainers will be able to gain coverage.

[buckalfa]

What will the socialists do when they run out of other people's money ? ?

[McGruff]

“full funding” Another word for _____.

[ASOC]

Our A-hole Gov here in AK did the same thing. Most of the ‘new’ enrollees? Alaska Natives. Surprised? Not me.

Now about 1/3 (or more, the numbers aren’t all in yet) of the population is on welfare.

Oil prices are in the tank and now because of budget “shortfalls” - the same Gov wants a ‘payroll tax’ because that sounds different that Income tax.

[Tudorfly]

Maine’s democrat Troy Jackson is a known to be a liar and a fool...but, then again, he is a democrat...

[Spok]

All or nothing. I’m good with that. I’d give him nothing.

[Chickensoup]

when lepage came into office the state owed hospitals tens of millions that the previous administration declined to deal with.
Lepage made it a point to make sure all the hospitals were paid.

In return the hospital management particularly of the healthcare government insurance trifecta big players have spent the rest of his administration fighting him tooth and nail.

And they clearly have tax dollars in sight as they lobbied hard to get this referendum in place.

Strike them out Paul!

[MSF BU]

As you probably know, only the southern tier of Maine voted for this. Most legislatures will serve from areas that opposed this effort. This makes the ballot initiative a bit different in that regard.

[Tudorfly]

True. It is a perpetual fight of good vs. evil. Good: Liberty, small government, lower taxes, more freedom. Evil: almost everything loved by progressives, liberals and democrats: Less Freedom, No Liberty, Large, Nanny State Government, High Taxes.