In case You Missed It…. Letter to Editor on Senator Susan Collins

• By: Angela Westhoff
• On: 04/24/2025 13:30:03
• In: Legislative/Government Affairs

Last week, the Bangor Daily News ran MHCA President/ CEO's Letter to the Editor expressing appreciation to Senator Collins for standing up for the most vulnerable and protecting Medicaid. A copy of the letter is included below.
 
Letter: Susan Collins stands up for most vulnerable
Earlier this month, Sen. Susan Collins stood up for Maine's most vulnerable and opposed a budget resolution that would mean reductions in federal funding for Medicaid. On behalf of Maine's seniors and other at-risk individuals who require long term care, thank you.

Medicaid is the backbone of healthcare in Maine, with two-thirds of all nursing home residents and nearly 40 percent of working-age adults with disabilities relying on the program. It also serves as a crucial source of funding for nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in rural parts of our state that would otherwise struggle to stay afloat.

Despite the program's profound impact, some lawmakers in Washington, D.C. are proposing reductions to Medicaid that would jeopardize the health and well-being of tens of millions of low-income Americans, including older adults. Medicaid is already an underfunded program, leaving facilities throughout Maine to find millions of dollars every year to stay open. Slashing Medicaid would only exacerbate this issue, forcing more facilities to close and leaving thousands of our most vulnerable citizens without care.

Staff contact: awesthoff@mehca.org