AUGUSTA — More than 300 people from across Maine came to the State House on Friday to decry changes proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services for Mainers with severe mental illnesses.

The hearing before the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee was broadcast in a total of five committee rooms in the State House complex, which was more than any hearing on a bill in Augusta in recent memory.

At issue are proposed changes to eligibility rules for what is known as Section 17 of the state’s MaineCare Benefits Manual. Section 17 services refer to some of the most intense supports for adults with mental illnesses or disabilities that are offered in Maine. Last month, the Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a new effort to change eligibility rules, which could push as many as 8,000 Mainers to other parts of the state’s Medicaid program.

In essence, the changes would limit Section 17 funding to people diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, as well as people with other illnesses who meet certain conditions, such as having been incarcerated, homeless or patients in state-run mental hospitals. DHHS has argued that there aren’t enough resources for the number of people who are currently receiving Section 17 services.

Dozens of consumers and service providers argued against the changes for a variety of reasons — or asked for the changes to be slowed down.

“This could cause me to lose all of my services, including my case management and my daily living skills services,” said Eric McVay of Hampden, who receives Section 17 services. “These services have helped keep me in my own home instead of in assisted living.”

Tiffany Murchison of Bath said she has had severe mental illness in the past and is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder that essentially made her a shut-in. She said state services were crucial to her recovery.

“Under the proposed changes, I would not have been able to get the services that saved my life and helped me be a better wife and mother,” said Murchison.

Section 17 provides a range of intensive services, including case management, which helps clients across a range of medical and daily living tasks. DHHS was in the midst of making the rule changes internally — and without legislative review — but consumers and service providers triggered a seldom-used petition process to force legislative oversight.

The rule changes are scheduled to go into effect next week — on April 8 — though affected consumers wouldn’t see their services changed until their next services review, which happen every 90 days. Some argued that the process should be slowed down.

“We’re not opposed to the changes but given the serious impact on people, we’re advocating a go-slow approach,” said Jack Comart of Maine Equal Justice Partners, who said his organization has doubts about whether there are enough mental health care providers in Maine to accommodate people being moved to other MaineCare sections.

“There’s going to be a problem for a while,” said Comart. “To avoid that problem, just extending when that rule takes effect would be helpful.”

The Health and Human Services Committee will conduct work sessions on the rules in the coming days. The committee can make recommendations to DHHS or write a committee bill that directs the department on what to do. That bill would have to be enacted by the Legislature and Gov. Paul LePage.

Stefanie Nadeau, director of the Maine Office of MaineCare Services, said Maine spent $88 million on Section 17 services in 2015.

“The department is committed to making the right services available at the right time and in the right setting,” said Nadeau.