Rep. Jeff Timberlake wrote March 22 in support of a much needed MaineCare rescue for Maine’s nursing homes (LD 1776) but opposed accepting federal funds to provide MaineCare coverage to 70,000 who can’t afford insurance (LD 1487). He suggested legislators must choose between those bills. That is untrue. MaineCare expansion would use federal funding targeted […]
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House backs bill to block MaineCare rides renewal
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine’s Democratic-controlled House has approved a bill to prevent the state from renewing its contracts in a troubled MaineCare rides program that’s caused some patients to miss appointments. The House voted 86-56 Tuesday in favor of the measure introduced by Senate Democratic Leader Troy Jackson. The Senate endorsed it with a 24-14 […]
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Troubled Maine transport company paid extra $1.2M last month
PORTLAND (AP) — A state lawmaker is demanding answers after a company under fire for its poor performance in providing non-emergency rides to Maine Medicaid patients was paid an extra $1.2 million last month. State Rep. Drew Gattine said he noticed that Connecticut-based Coordinated Transportation Solutions was paid $3.3 million in February while in previous […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
LePage, Democrats blame each other for hold-up of voter-approved bonds
AUGUSTA — Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Paul LePage traded barbs Thursday about who’s to blame for the hold-up of voter-approved bonds. LePage has refused to issue the bonds until the Legislature replenishes the state’s budget stabilization fund, which lawmakers from both parties agreed to use $21 million from last month as part of a measure […]
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Federal report details Maine’s efforts to root out Medicaid fraud
Maine investigations of Medicaid fraud resulted in nearly $7.5 million in recoveries in fiscal year 2013, according to new federal data. Nearly all of that money, which includes funds due to the federal government, was owed by drug makers to settle civil charges, including improper marketing of prescription medications. One of the highest-profile cases was […]
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Committee sends Medicaid expansion to Maine Senate
AUGUSTA — A proposal by two moderate Republican senators to expand Medicaid and incorporate drastic changes in the state Medicaid program has cleared the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee and will now be taken up by the full Senate. The bill — crafted by Assistant Senate Minority Leader Roger Katz of Augusta and Sen. […]
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State analyst: Medicaid compromise would insure 70,000 for practically no cost
AUGUSTA — A plan to expand Medicaid coverage to more than 70,000 low-income Mainers for three years would cost the state practically nothing, according to the Legislature’s nonpartisan budget office. Christopher Nolan, an analyst from the Office of Fiscal and Program Review, gave a preliminary cost-savings analysis to the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee […]
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MaineCare sees 30 percent drop in patients on prescription opiates with new emphasis on alternative therapies
At Acadia Hospital in Bangor, individuals suffering from chronic pain, many of them for years, gather once a week to find relief in their thoughts, rather than a pill bottle. Some injured themselves at work, others struggle with debilitating headaches and neck pain. A few don’t know why they hurt. While some take prescription narcotics, […]
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Bill meant to fix MaineCare rides program passes
AUGUSTA — The Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee on Thursday approved a bill that would revamp the state’s non-emergency medical ride program for those on MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid system. The $40 million program has been fraught with problems since a trio of companies, at the behest of the federal government, were put in […]
Posted inLetters
J. Lysen: Do what is right and moral
MaineCare expansion is vital for more than 70,000 Mainers, keeping them healthy and productive. It is also crucial to the 65 locations in Maine where community health centers, such as the B Street Health Center in Lewiston, provide care to more than 200,000 Mainers, regardless of their ability to pay. In 2011, Maine community health […]