Healthcare
My primary commitment as a legislator is to move our state and nation toward universal healthcare. As Mainers lose access to healthcare because of a pandemic, it’s time to re-think how we access healthcare and to create coverage that is not tied to the workplace.
This year I supported many measures to make health care more affordable and accessible for Mainers:
Medicaid Expansion: I’m proud to have voted for a state budget that takes care of Mainers by funding MaineCare expansion, appropriating $125 million Maine dollars to be matched with $700 million in federal funds, restoring the low-cost Drugs for Maine’s Elderly program, and responding to the opioid crisis with $5.5 million in funding for prevention and treatment.
Affordable Care for Children: Affordable health care is beyond reach for many Maine families. Climbing costs mean that even parents with employer-sponsored insurance can no longer afford coverage for their children. I sponsored “An Act to To Provide Maine Children Access to Affordable Health Care,” LD 1539, in response to Maine’s high rate of uninsured children. This bill provides affordable health coverage to Maine children up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, bringing our state Children’s Health Insurance Program into line with the federal CHIP program’s matching funds. It has passed the House and Senate and is carried over awaiting funding.
Improved Postpartum Coverage: I sponsored LD 1957, “An Act To Provide Women Access to Affordable Postpartum Care,” which extends pregnancy care for Maine women with low incomes from just 2 months to 6 months following delivery. During the postpartum period, new mothers deal with multiple medical conditions that impact their health and ability to care for their newborns. Complications from childbirth, pelvic floor disorders, pain, concerns related to lactation, depression, and other conditions often require treatment in the year following birth. If funded, this bill will give new parents access to healthcare during a medically vulnerable phase of their lives.
Women’s Health: I believe health care decisions should be made by patients and their health care providers. When states and insurance companies are allowed to deny insurance coverage for abortion, they become the decision-makers, especially for people with low incomes. Reproductive health care involves very personal considerations by patients and medical advice from doctors. I co-sponsored LD 820, “An Act To Prevent Discrimination in Public and Private Insurance Coverage for Pregnant Women in Maine.” This law gives every woman access to reproductive health care, regardless of how little she earns or how she is insured.
Prescription Drug Affordability: I supported a series of successful bills that combat the high price of prescription drugs and make them more affordable. Mainers should not have to skip necessary medication or cut doses in half due to the high price of medicine. Included in that legislation:
LD 2096, “An Act To Save Lives by Capping the Out-of-pocket Cost of Certain Medications,” caps out-of-pocket costs of insulin at $35 for a 30-day supply.
LD 1272, “An Act To Increase Access to Low-cost Prescription Drugs,” allows Maine to set up a drug importation program, with federal approval.
LD 1499, “An Act To Establish the Maine Prescription Drug Affordability Board,” establishes a Drug Affordability Board for the State of Maine.
LD 1162, “An Act To Further Expand Drug Price Transparency,” requires disclosure of drug pricing by manufacturers, wholesalers, pharmacy benefit managers and insurance companies.
LD 1504, “An Act To Protect Consumers from Unfair Practices Related to Pharmacy Benefits Management,” ensures that drug manufacturer rebates benefit patients.
Opioids: After too many years of failing Mainers struggling with substance use disorders, Maine made Naloxone available to treat opioid overdoses and protects those who reach out for help. “An Act To Exempt from Criminal Liability Persons Reporting a Drug-related Medical Emergency,” LD329, exempts persons who call 911 about drug-related emergencies from arrest and prosecution. This bill encourages people to call for help. It earned my support because it puts saving lives ahead of criminal prosecution.
Death with Dignity: I lost both of my parents during the 2019 legislative session, and a brother the preceding fall, so testifying in support of “An Act To Enact the Maine Death with Dignity Act,” was hard for me. But their deaths helped me understand at a very personal level the importance of establishing a person’s right to death with dignity. LD 1313 gives terminally ill patients that right, and with it the ability to relieve their suffering. I realized that, as a daughter and a sister, I want the people I love to have this option, and to have it myself.
Healthcare touches every aspect of our lives. Kindergarteners become more successful students when they receive treatment for disabilities and medical conditions. Adults can pursue successful careers, raise families, and follow their dreams when healthcare needs are met. But our system often fails Mainers because we can’t afford the cost of care. Those who have lost work due to the pandemic lose employer-sponsored insurance and can’t afford replacement policies. At the same time, the system itself is threatened financially: rural hospitals are going out of business and providers are leaving the state. I’ve taken on this issue with a passion for creating an affordable healthcare system that cares for all Mainers, throughout our lives.