With the long-awaited U.S. Supreme Court decision on the federal health care law behind us, Maine should resume laying the groundwork for the next step required under the law: health insurance exchanges. That, however, will require Gov. Paul LePage to put aside his aversion to the new law and make sure Maine is ready to […]
health care
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Court ruling leaves deep MaineCare cuts in question
MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program, provides health insurance to low-income residents. President Barack Obama’s landmark health reform law expands Medicaid by using the program to cover 17 million Americans who earn less than 133 percent of the federal poverty line, or about $14,500 for an individual. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, states […]
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Posted inOpinion, sj-web
Win for Obama, a political issue for Romney
The Supreme Court’s dramatic decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act gives President Barack Obama a major political victory. But the controversial measure now becomes a major election issue and its future will remain in doubt at least until voters render their verdict this November. That’s because presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney has pledged to […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
A look at the ruling upholding Obamacare
WASHINGTON — THE RULING: The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of President Barack Obama’s health care law, including the most disputed part: the mandate that virtually all Americans have health insurance or pay a fine. The mandate was upheld under the federal government’s power to levy taxes. The ruling put some limits on the law’s […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine Democrats: Supreme Court health care decision ‘incredible victory’
AUGUSTA — Maine Democrats and consumers praised the Supreme Court decision upholding President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, while conservatives called it “an assault on personal liberty.” Hospitals were torn, saying it presents opportunities and challenges. Republican Gov. Paul LePage had no immediate response and Attorney General William Schneider, who joined 25 other states in […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Stock market drops after health care decision; hospital chains’ stocks rise
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks dropped sharply Thursday after the Supreme Court upheld the central provision of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, a requirement that almost all Americans carry health insurance. The Dow Jones industrial average, which was down about 100 points before the court ruled, fell further and was down 160 points at […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Health care countdown: Who wins, who loses — and who pays for it?
WASHINGTON — It seems as if the entire nation is holding its breath for the Supreme Court’s health care ruling — the presidential candidates, governors of virtually every state, insurers with billions at stake, companies large and small and countless millions of Americans concerned about their own medical care and how they’ll pay for it. […]
Posted inLetters
R. Fochtmann: Shortsighted politicians
Once again we see shortsighted, selfish and uncharitable policies from politicians who are more interested in their own pocketbooks than in the welfare of the citizens they are empowered to serve. Recently, in Augusta, LD 1746 regarding the DHHS budget was passed to “save taxpayers money.” In order to save nearly $11 million, lawmakers sacrificed […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
13.5% of Maine adults skipped medical care because they couldn’t afford it, report finds
Access to health care: Percent change of population with unmet medical needs due to cost, 2000-2010. The darker the red, the greater the shift of population unable to access healthcare. SOURCE: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Data visualization by Eric Zelz, Bangor Daily News Hit hardest were the uninsured, who were far more likely to report […]
Posted inLetters
H. Brooks: Putting lives at risk
Is health care a “right” or is it “a service”? Do some people deserve to be healthy and others sick? Is health care a privilege? The 2010 Maine Democratic Party platform refers to health care as a “fundamental human right,” while the 2010 Maine Republican Party platform seeks to “clarify that health care is not […]