Last year Governor Mills and the Maine Legislature expanded MaineCare for income-eligible pregnant people and those under the age of 21, regardless of their immigrant status. While this was a critical step in ending racist restrictions on health care access, there are still many immigrant adults who fall in the MaineCare coverage gap.
There are two opportunities during this legislative session to right this wrong!
The first is the 2022 Supplemental Budget. Maine has a historic revenue surplus of approximately $822 million and the latest forecasts project a continued surplus. A small portion of these funds could be used to extend MaineCare to adults who remain ineligible due to their immigration status to provide cost-saving and lifesaving preventive, primary, and acute health care.
In early March, the Appropriations and Financial Affairs (AFA) Committee and the Health and Human Services (HHS) Committee heard from members of the public on LD 1995, the Supplemental Budget bill. They heard hours of testimony on different parts of the budget, including members of the public who spoke passionately about the importance of health care coverage for immigrants.
Maria Perez testified, “As a mom I feel anguish, and the urgency to take care of myself so that I can better care for my family. Children’s physical, mental, and emotional health is also impacted by the wellbeing of their parents. MaineCare for everyone with low incomes, including all immigrants, will make us all healthier and stronger.”
The second opportunity to expand health care access for all Mainers is LD 718: An Act to Improve the Health of Maine Residents by Closing Coverage Gaps in the MaineCare Program and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. You may remember this bill from last year--if passed and funded--it would finally extend MaineCare benefits to immigrant adults, irrespective of their immigration status. Learn more about the bill in our fact sheet!
During the public hearing for LD 718 last year, advocates and immigrant community members told legislators their stories of pain and resilience and the impacts of lack of health care coverage on their lives, families, and businesses.
Rosy Ontiveros, a resident of Lewiston who assists others in her community without health insurance explained, “It’s very difficult for all the people who don’t go to the doctor for fear of not being attended to because of lack of ability to pay…We have many stories of people who have broken bones and because of not having access to health insurance they have not sought the necessary therapies needed and the pain they experience is constant.”
The HHS Committee will soon hold a work session on LD 718, where they will discuss and decide if the bill should be passed out of committee, so it can be voted on by the full legislature. When it comes to making sure our neighbors, friends, and family who are immigrants have access to services like health care, your voice really counts–unfortunately, the reality is legislators can face strong blow back when they support immigrants, and they need to know there are constituents who DO support them when they do the right thing.
Don't forget to send a message to your legislators! Health care for all means all.
In the words of Sra. Ontiveros, to the HHS Committee, “I trust in you, and I think with your help we can win this.”
Maine Equal Justice focuses its work on many of the issues that affect people’s daily lives – access to adequate health care, housing, transportation and childcare; food and income security; and higher education and training. Maine Equal Justice is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization. Our EIN is 04-3346273. 