EDITORIAL: Maine has a budget surplus, which can be used to expand Medicaid
That's great news (but not entirely unexpected because the state regularly ends its fiscal years with additional money on hand). The money can go toward fulfilling a state law requiring the expansion of Medicaid, which was approved by voters last year.
Gov.
The funding standards include not raising taxes, not cutting funds for nursing homes or people with disabilities, not taking money from the Rainy Day fund and not using gimmicks. The surplus funds identified by the Revenue Forecasting Committee meet these criteria.
According to the nonpartisan
Simple math shows the benefits to
By expanding Medicaid,
Extending health insurance coverage to these Mainers will allow them to access preventative care, vaccinations, addiction treatment, counseling and other needed care. Currently, many people without insurance put off doctor's visits until illnesses or injuries become so bad they threaten their work and wellbeing. When they do seek care, it is more expensive. The cost of that expensive care is borne by hospitals and those with insurance as rates are raised to cover the cost of caring for the uninsured. In fact, a recent analysis found that private insurance premiums were about 7 percent lower in states that had expanded Medicaid compared to those that had not.
Medicaid expansion will also put
It will also help the state's economy as billions of federal dollars flow into the state, creating 6,000 new jobs, according to a report by
Thirty-three states, many of them led by Republican governors, have expanded Medicaid. No state has undone its expansion, negating the false arguments that expansion busts state budgets, leads to tax increases and reduced care for the elderly.
There are many ways
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