Affordable Care Act was written to allow states to cover millions more under Medicaid

On the day that the Maine Legislature is holding a hearing to consider accepting federal funding to expand Medicaid coverage, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said a goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to cover more low-income Americans through Medicaid, and Maine should accept the federal funding that will allow them to do that.

"I've heard a lot of stories from Maine people who are losing their health coverage but would be covered under an expanded Medicaid program, if the state would just accept the federal funding that was made available under the ACA," Pingree said. "We are talking about over $700,000 a day in federal funding that is being left on the table that the state should be taking advantage of, which would mean health care coverage for about 70,000 people in our state. If Maine doesn't take that money, it means our taxpayers are essentially subsidizing coverage for people in other places like New Jersey or Arizona without taking advantage for ourselves."

Pingree said she hears regularly from Mainers who lost MaineCare (Medicaid) coverage at the end of last year and can't find replacement coverage, because Maine has refused to accept federal money to expand Medicaid coverage.

"We hear, almost daily, from Maine people who are desperate to find health care coverage who would be covered under expanded Medicaid. The federal money is there to fund it and the need is there, and clearly a goal of the ACA was to allow these people to be covered under Medicaid," Pingree said.