Letter to the Editor
Once again during the last few weeks, Mainers held their
breath while the Senate debated health care legislation that would affect
hundreds of thousands of us. The bill in question, known simply as
“Graham-Cassidy” after the two Senators who drafted it, was not made public
until the eleventh hour and, it turns out, was deeply flawed.
For one thing, Graham-Cassidy proposed huge cuts to
Medicaid/MaineCare. According to AARP, some 268,000 Mainers of all ages
are on MaineCare. For most, the program is nothing short of a lifeline. Individuals
living with disabilities and low and middle-income seniors depend on MaineCare
for the care they receive at home or in nursing homes. Cutting MaineCare
would jeopardize their ability to access this critical long-term care. In
addition, rural hospitals and nursing homes could be forced to close in the
wake of cuts to MaineCare, further restricting access to healthcare.
The bill also proposed an Age Tax, allowing insurance
companies to charge individuals purchasing coverage in the individual market more,
simply due to their age. Further, the bill eroded current protections that prevent insurance companies
from charging someone more due to a pre-existing condition such as cancer,
diabetes or heart disease.
Mainers deserve health care coverage that is affordable
and accessible. This bill, like its predecessors introduced over the
summer, was not crafted with this in mind. In fact, this bill would have
cut some of the services and supports many of us – particularly those of us who
are older – rely upon every day.
I hope
Mainers will reach out and thank Senator King for standing strong for Maine and
opposing Graham-Cassidy.
Rich
Livingston
AARP Maine
Volunteer State President
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