To the editor:
In the next month, Maine lawmakers are likely to decide whether Maine should accept millions of dollars of federal aid under the 2010 Affordable Care Act to offer health insurance to uninsured Mainers, including thousands of Mainers age 50 to 64.
We hear too often from Maine people who have lost a job, have no health coverage, struggle and fall ill. The dignity of a secure retirement often becomes unreachable as they try to manage food and fuel costs, keep a roof over their heads and get the health care they need to battle illness.
Under the Affordable Care Act, Maine can help hard-working people who have lost their health insurance get Medicaid health coverage if their incomes are less than $16,000 a year or 138 percent of the federal poverty level. This means that 69,500 Maine people who are not currently insured could qualify for health care coverage in Maine. This includes more than 16,300 Mainers ages 50-64 who have lost their jobs or are working in jobs without health benefits. Many who need this help have worked hard and have paid into the system through state and local taxes all their working lives.
Anyone who has unexpectedly lost a job knows how demoralizing and frightening it can be. However, studies show that it takes longer for older workers to reenter the job force compared to their younger counterparts. Once they lose their jobs, older workers face unemployment lasting, on average, more than a year. For many, purchasing individual coverage isn’t an option. For others who can find individual coverage, it can mean spending retirement savings. Having access to health care coverage is especially important for older adults who are not yet eligible for Medicare. These individuals are more likely to face the onset of health conditions that if left untreated could inevitably impact their productivity and increase their need for more expensive acute care treatments and use of long-term care.
The fiscal benefits of accepting these funds for Maine are quite remarkable. Under the law, the federal government will pay the entire cost of covering newly eligible individuals for three years beginning in 2014 and 90 percent starting in 2020. This means that Maine presently has an opportunity to provide health care coverage to thousands of Maine residents who would otherwise be uninsured in 2014. Medicaid can provide these people with health coverage in case they become seriously ill, but just as important is the access to preventive care to keep them from getting sick in the first place, such as mammograms, prostate exams, cancer screenings and other benefits.
Such preventive care can yield tremendous benefits — literally saving lives. It also can save millions of taxpayer dollars by reducing the need for people to seek care in an emergency room — in most cases, the most expensive setting in which to deliver health care.
Accepting federal funds will also save Maine taxpayers money due in large part to reducing the need for other medical service programs that are currently paid for entirely by the state such as mental health services. Accepting these funds will enable people who desperately need care to access it at the right time and the right place for less money.
Governor Rick Scott, a Republican, from Florida was the seventh Republican Governor to back Medicaid expansion. He called his decision “a compassionate, common-sense step forward.” Other Republican governors who have recently voiced support of expanding coverage to their uninsured include Chris Christie of New Jersey, John Kasich of Ohio and Rick Snyder of Michigan. Governor LePage should consider joining them. Access to affordable, quality health care isn’t a Republican or Democratic issue — it is a human issue.
We hope Mainers will voice their opinion on this important matter by urging their legislators to accept the federal funding available to extend affordable health coverage. Providing health care coverage to more Maine people makes sense both for the health of Maine residents and for the state’s economy. As other states have made clear, it is a common sense decision and the right thing to do for our families.
Lori Parham, Ph.D., AARP Maine state director
Sara Gagné-Holmes, Esq., executive director, Maine Equal Justice
