Gov. Paul LePage knows that Maine does not have a significant number of people who are uninsured. The reason for the high use of emergency room doctors is that many on MaineCare have a difficult time getting a primary care physician. That is not a problem that will be remedied by adding more people to the system. In fact, that would make it worse.

MaineCare does not need to be expanded in Maine, the state already has a higher than national average of people on MaineCare. And everyone knows that the federal cost assistance would be phased out after a few years, making it a larger burden on taxpayers.

Since it isn’t a problem here, why are Democrats and others still talking about it?

Instead of attacking the governor, shouldn’t elected officials be concentrating their efforts on the real problem — access to practitioners?

Donna Harrison, Greene

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