Brookings’ Report Debunks Claims By Paul LePage & Republican Gubernatorial Candidates Who Oppose Medicaid Expansion

WESTBROOK, Maine, March 27 -- The Maine Democratic Party issued the following news release:

In case you missed it, the Brookings Institute released a report yesterday that pans many of the assertions used by Republicans like Governor Paul LePage and Maine's Republican gubernatorial candidates to justify their opposition to Maine's voter-approved Medicaid expansion.

The report, which "evaluates continuing claims by Medicaid opponents that expansion is a 'proven disaster' for state budgets", concludes that "the strong balance of objective evidence indicates that actual costs to states so far from expanding Medicaid are neglible or minor, and that states across the political spectrum do not regret their decisions to expand Medicaid."

Maine Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett issued the following statement:

"Republicans' opposition to Medicaid expansion is not only deeply out of touch with the will of Maine voters, but it's also just factually wrong -- and Maine people are paying the price for it every day.

"Maine people deserve a governor who will respect them, and they deserve a governor who recognizes that that extending healthcare to more people is not only good for our state, but it's good for our economy too.

"The Maine Democratic Party and our candidates for governor are committed to ensuring that the will of the voters is fully implemented and that our state has the opportunity to benefit from Medicaid expansion."

All seven of Maine's Democratic candidates for governor support expanding Medicaid while all four of the Republican gubernatorial candidates oppose it, adopting much of Governor LePage's flawed thinking to do so:

Paul LePage: "This fiscally irresponsible Medicaid expansion will be ruinous to Maine's budget. Therefore, my administration will not implement Medicaid expansion until it has been fully funded by the Legislature at the levels DHHS 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."

Mary Mayhew: "All because you put a couple sentences on the ballot, and in this case you have incredibly low voter turnout, and now we're going to have the Legislature and a Governor contemplate how are you going to pay for this. This can get passed in the ballot box -- it does not absolve the Legislature's and the Governor's responsibility to comprehensively evaluate and do the right thing for Mainers."

Shawn Moody: "I'm a deep thinker. I see things probably differently than a lot of people do. But Medicaid expansion is a government bailout for the insurance companies and for the hospitals. That money is ear-marked for the healthiest population. Why? Because they don't need health care coverage - you know, not to the extent older people do. So that money is gonna go right in the pockets of the hospitals and the insurance companies because they are supporting a failed system."

Ken Fredette: "I acknowledge the passing of the referendum dealing with the expansion of Medicaid. However, I do not believe House Republicans will support any tax increase or the raiding of the rainy day fund to pay for an ever-expanding state government due to the out-of-control referendum process."

The report comes as Mainers gather at the State House today as part of the Countdown to Care Lobby Day to press Governor LePage and other Republican lawmakers to act on Medicaid expansion.