Sen. Susan Collins should vote against the current reconciliation bill. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the cuts to Medicaid in the bill will make 39,000 Mainers lose their health insurance. The last thing Maine needs is fewer people who can afford to go to the doctor, more people putting off treatment they need or families going into medical debt.
This is not just a problem because people will lose MaineCare coverage. It is also a problem because 10 out of 24 of Maine’s rural hospitals are in danger of closing. This bill will put many of these hospitals over the edge. If rural hospitals close, Mainers will not only lose their health care, but also have nowhere to go for emergency treatment or childbirth. Standing up for Maine families means making sure that families have access to health insurance everywhere in Maine, not just in cities and larger towns.
Collins has said she is “concerned” about the cuts to Medicaid in the most recent version of the bill. But being concerned is not enough. Maine needs Susan Collins to stand up and fight for Maine by voting “no” on this bill.