Stories about MaineCare
CONTRIBUTORS
Don’t pull the rug out from under Maine’s working poor
By Charlton Hudson on Feb. 06, 2013, at 11:13 a.m.
Amid the vitriolic atmosphere instilled by the state administration, it is further attempting to demoralize, scapegoat and marginalize Maine’s most vulnerable populations — single mothers, the elderly and those caring for a disabled family member — by balancing the state’s budget on their backs. A bill sponsored by Rep. Paulette ...
Rights panel to hear complaint against Sweetser on MaineCare billing
AUGUSTA, Maine — A Brunswick woman who alleged she was fired for reporting “what she reasonably believed to be illegal work practice” for billing MaineCare has reasonable grounds to proceed with her claim, a Maine Human Rights Commission investigator has found. The commission is expected to rule on the claim ...
VIDEO
Crack down on MaineCare abusers, audience at Presque Isle forum says
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A standing-room-only audience crowded into Northern Maine Community College on Wednesday afternoon for the second of three regional meetings held so that Aroostook County residents could weigh in on Gov. Paul LePage’s supplemental budget and its proposed reductions to MaineCare costs. Several urged the state to ...
LePage deflects criticism after Fort Kent event
FORT KENT, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage’s office deflected criticism that the governor was impatient, abrupt and at times rude Tuesday during the first of three forums to allow Aroostook County residents to weigh in on a budget proposal calling for major cuts in MaineCare, saying political opponents tried to ...
N. Maine audience criticizes LePage’s MaineCare cuts
The Associated Press on Dec. 28, 2011, at 4:59 p.m.
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage encountered stiff criticism to his proposed MaineCare cuts in northern Maine, leading to a sharp exchange during the first of three stops. Judy Paradis, a former state legislator from northern Aroostook County, criticized LePage during the meeting, saying, “You come off as a ...
RENEE ORDWAY
Consider these MaineCare recipients as state looks at changes
Am I the only one anticipating a baby boom? Right or wrong, and of course it’s wrong, if childless adults in their 20s and 30s are faced with losing their MaineCare or having a baby in order to keep that health care — which will they choose? It’s just one ...
Without MaineCare, childless adults say they won’t survive
ORLAND, Maine — Janet Bouchard has heard about the deep cuts Gov. Paul LePage has proposed to the state’s MaineCare program. The Orland woman may not know the ins and outs of the administration’s plan to overhaul the program and bring it into a new era of fiscal sustainability, but ...
LePage’s proposed MaineCare cuts leave some reeling, others hopeful
AUGUSTA, Maine — A day after Gov. Paul LePage called for a drastic overhaul of the MaineCare program, organizations that serve the state’s vulnerable were left reeling in the face of painful cuts. With reactions ranging from a hopeful wait-and-see attitude to outright indignation, health and social services providers and ...
New Medicaid rules mean some centers must reduce services to keep funding
By Lindsay Tice, Sun Journal on Oct. 20, 2011, at 10:56 a.m.
AUBURN, Maine — St. Francis Recovery Center, a rehab and halfway house for men recovering from addiction, will cut its number of beds in half — from 32 to 16 — by the end of the month in an effort to keep its funding. Other mental health facilities may quickly ...
Agreement reached in disability lawsuit against DHHS
BANGOR, Maine — Under the terms of a legal agreement announced Tuesday, the state Department of Health and Human Services will close a loophole that a group of disabled Maine residents says has prevented them from receiving services they need to live productive and independent lives. The lawsuit, originally brought ...
Maine’s social services praised as far better than Granite State’s
By Jennifer Keefe, Foster's Daily Democrat on July 31, 2011, at 10:54 a.m.
DOVER, N.H. — Bree Messier has found everything she needs for her children through Maine’s health care program. The Berwick, Maine, resident moved from Somersworth in 2006 and says she remains in Maine for the health care coverage, with all three of her children currently on MaineCare. Messier has a ...
Lawmakers reach compromise on $6.1 billion budget package; plan includes tax, welfare changes
AUGUSTA, Maine — Lawmakers will vote next week on a two-year, $6.1 billion budget compromise that cuts income tax rates, shrinks the financial hole in Maine’s pension system and reduces social services benefits for some groups. After months of work, members of the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee voted unanimously ...
Critics: LePage budget fix puts poor at risk
AUGUSTA, Maine — After years of steady work at a Portland-area metal business, Alan Beam found himself, like many Americans, watching his hours dwindle until the recession finally claimed his job. Desperate to support his wife and two young girls, Beam said they moved back to his native Washington County ...
POLL QUESTION
LePage budget fix would cut welfare benefits, state jobs
AUGUSTA, Maine — The LePage administration’s latest budget proposals to eliminate MaineCare coverage for 28,000 people, cut welfare benefits for some families and slash hundreds of state government jobs is expected to draw sizable crowds to the State House on Wednesday. Unveiled last week, the package of budget alterations intended ...
Justice denies drug agent further explanation about potentially incriminating documents
ROCKLAND, Maine — A Superior Court justice recently refused to elaborate on his decision that prohibits a former Maine Drug Enforcement agent access to potentially incriminating documents against the officer. The agent, Kirk Guerrette, in late April asked for an explanation from the justice who ordered the limited release of about ...
Harrison woman gets 42 months for overcharging MaineCare by $4M
The Associated Press on May 05, 2011, at 4:06 p.m.
PARIS, Maine — A Maine woman who ran a company that provided services for children with mental disabilities was sentenced Thursday to 42 months in state prison for overcharging the state’s MaineCare program by more than $4 million. Dawn Solomon, who admitted to the fraud when pleading guilty in December, ...
Maine bill calls for citizenship proof for welfare
The Associated Press on April 26, 2011, at 5:09 a.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — The LePage administration says it understands the intent behind bills to bolster residency requirements for welfare programs, but the proposals violate federal regulations. The bills reviewed by the Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday also generated opposition from the Maine Civil Liberties Union, which called them ...
Bill would require drug testing for MaineCare
The Associated Press on April 25, 2011, at 12:46 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Lawmakers are considering a bill to require random drug testing for MaineCare recipients. The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Thomas Saviello of Wilton, would suspend benefits for MaineCare recipients who test positive for scheduled drugs. The bill was reviewed Monday by the Health and Human Services Committee, ...
Lawmakers want to change welfare, but are the changes constitutional?
AUGUSTA, Maine — Fixing welfare is easy enough to talk about on the campaign trail. But when it comes to actually revamping the social service programs created to help those in need, reform efforts often run up against federal restrictions, constitutional prohibitions and, in some cases, the fact that reality ...
POLL QUESTION
Governors cut taxes, medical aid to the poor
By Noam N. Levey, Tribune Washington Bureau on April 13, 2011, at 5:50 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — In their drive to cut medical assistance to the poor while pushing tax breaks benefiting the affluent, congressional Republicans are following the lead of a group of governors who have championed this approach to balance state budgets. The strategy — reprising the supply-side economics of the Ronald ...
Man accused of killing Glenburn teen denied bail, has received death threats, attorney says
Kyle Dube arrest, murder charge surprising to some who know him
Nichole Cable’s friends, family attend accused killer’s emotionally charged court appearance
Man linked to Boston bombing suspect killed by FBI in Florida
Guest Post: “I’m about ready to name my daughter Revolution.”
How to humble a wing nut
Help Maine charter schools succeed before adding more
Bucksport’s Wood enjoying the professional cage in MMA bouts
Tommy Lawrence pitches UMaine baseball to victory in first America East tournament game
Garcia sorry after ‘stupid’ Woods fried chicken jibe
Live updates: UMaine baseball vs. Stony Brook at America East Championship
Messalonskee’s Dexter, South Portland’s Richards key first-year contributors for USM baseball team
Federal agencies eye return to restored historic Custom House in Portland
It’s hard to keep secrets from a friend who is clairvoyant
ACF Committee votes Ought to Pass on Right to Know about GMOs