For more than 400,000 Mainers, Medicaid (also known as MaineCare) is a vital support that helps people stay healthy, housed, and fed. Whether it’s someone managing a chronic illness, a parent struggling to make ends meet, or an individual experiencing homelessness, Medicaid helps keep people from slipping further into crisis.
But proposed cuts and new work requirements threaten to put this lifeline out of reach for many of our neighbors and would result in increased rates of hunger and homelessness in our state.
Take action today
Together, we can protect healthcare access for thousands of Mainers. Here’s how you can help:
- Contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives and tell them to oppose any federal proposals that restrict Medicaid access. Share your story. If you or someone you love has been helped by Medicaid, your voice matters.
- Sign-up for our advocacy alerts, so you can so you can take action when it matters most.
“Medicaid serves the lowest-income people. So by its nature, the people most impacted will be the lowest-income Mainers who have the least ability to absorb additional health carecosts,” said Kathy Kilrain del Rio, advocacy and programs director at Maine Equal Justice in a recent interview. “If these types of cuts happen, we’re going to see poor health outcomes for Mainers, and we’re going to see more people struggling with medical debt or trying to figure out, do they pay their rent or do they pay a medical bill?”
Why Medicaid matters to Maine
- Maine has the oldest population in the country, and Medicaid provides a crucial safety net for older adults who face unaffordable out-of-pocket costs. It pays for a broad range of long-term care services, home care, and prescription medications, offering relief to older Mainers and their family caregivers.
- Medicaid provides relief to low-income individuals and families, preventing them from having to choose between paying for prescriptions, rent, or putting food on the table.
- Medicaid also helps pay for services for people facing challenges with mental health or substance use disorder, offering a path to recovery, dignity, and independence.
Stable access to healthcare is critical for a more secure future.
Cuts and barriers to Medicaid will have devastating effects
Currently, the federal government is proposing large funding cuts to Medicaid, which could lead to many Mainers losing coverage. People who lose healthcare coverage are more likely to end up needing expensive emergency care, unable to work, and unable to pay for housing, leaving them on the streets.
As of 2023, two-thirds of adults ages 19-64 covered by Medicaid were working. Of the remaining one-third, many were not working because of caregiving responsibilities, illness, disability, or school attendance. Yet, along with funding cuts, there are also proposed work requirements that would add additional barriers to coverage. Work requirements add unnecessary red tape and bureaucratic burden to already understaffed agencies, leading people to lose coverage they are actually eligible for and leading to longer waits in accessing coverage.
Cuts to Medicaid mean:
- Increased Hunger: If Mainers need to pay more for healthcare, they have less money available for food, worsening hunger in the state with the highest food insecurity in New England
- Greater Risk of Homelessness: Losing Medicaid can mean losing access to mental healthcare, substance use treatment, and other services that help people stay housed. Without these supports, more people could end up on the streets or in shelters, which are already stretched thin in communities across Maine.
- Punishing low-income workers: Many Medicaid recipients are already working, often in low-wage jobs without benefits, or in seasonal and part-time roles common in rural and coastal Maine. Others face barriers like lack of childcare, unreliable transportation, or chronic health conditions.
- Straining family caregivers: 166,000 family caregivers in Maine provide 155 million hours of unpaid care to older family members each year. A loss of Medicaid coverage for long-term care or home care support will add further financial and time burdens to caregivers who are already stretched to the limit.
Medicaid is an investment in the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Every Mainer — regardless of age, income, or background — should be able to access the care they need to live with dignity, stability, and hope.
