Maine groups push for Medicaid funding
By John Richardson jrichardson@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
A coalition of Maine health and community groups is urging Maine’s U.S. senators to restore supplemental Medicaid funding to help the elderly and disabled.
The Disability Rights Center, staff at the Barron Center and others are officially unveilng a new ad campaign urging immediate passage of the Senate jobs bill that would restore Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage funding that had been allocated to states through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The House of Representatives passed the bill last month without restoring the Medicaid funding.
Failing to restore the funding will result in cuts to vital medical programs and other health services, according to the advocacy groups. Maine would lose 3,441 jobs and wind up with an $85 million budget gap that would affect services to the elderly, disabled and mentally ill communities, they said.
The group ran its first full page ad in the Portland Press Herald today, and is holding a news conference this afternoon to officially unveil the campaign. The ad, an open letter to Snowe and Collins, asks the senators to support the jobs bill with restored Medicaid funding.
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5 COMMENTS
BonusEleven said...
At what point do we tell these folks to look to their families and other community infrastructure, such as churches and social groups, to provide funding for these people. The problem with just printing more and more money is that eventually it's about as worthless as all the leaves on the ground! IMHO, families and individuals need to stand up and do something instead of always looking for government to solve their "problems".
June 14, 2010 at 3:26 PM Report abuse
Larry1940 said...
BonusEleven: Just as soon as you get sick or injured. How would that work for you.
June 14, 2010 at 3:36 PM Report abuse
Victoria said...
Bonus eleven recommends "other community infrastructure" and "social groups" to look to. Well, we've got that in place for a long time in the government and for good reason. What Bonus Elven probably means is that he/she doesn't care who falls through the cracks with their "problems".
June 14, 2010 at 3:55 PM Report abuse
boofaloo said...
I've seen what happens to some of these people who are at the mercy of their families and "other community infrastructure." It ain't pretty.
June 14, 2010 at 9:13 PM Report abuse
LizieD said...
Thank goodness no conservatives will ever find themselves elderly, ill, and impoverished. That frees them up to advocate cutting Medicare services, since only other people will be affected. Conservatives: the me-Me-ME-and-only-MEEEE generation.
June 15, 2010 at 8:56 AM Report abuse