AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine Democrats on Tuesday relaunched their campaign to expand health care coverage to about 70,000 low-income residents under the federal health care overhaul, vowing to reintroduce a Medicaid expansion bill when they return in January.
Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves of North Berwick said Democrats feel confident they can get enough GOP support to override an almost-certain veto from Republican Gov. Paul LePage next session. But attempts to override LePage's veto last legislative session fell short, signaling a difficult road ahead for Democrats.
"They said that last year," House Republican Leader Ken Fredette of Newport said in response to Democrats' assertion that may have the votes to see the expansion go into law.
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LePage, who vetoed the expansion bill in June, says it's essential that the state address the current problems in its Medicaid system and ensure that all of Maine's disabled and elderly residents have the care they need before expanding the program to more people.
But Eves said that Maine will miss out on about $700,000 a day or $256 million a year by choosing to reject the federal government's funding for the expansion.
"Those dollars would be pumped into our economy, they would create jobs in our hospitals and ensure that Maine families can go to the doctor when they are sick," he said.
LePage shot back on Tuesday saying that Maine's health department has shown that the expansion will cost Maine taxpayers millions of dollars in the short term and $150 million in each budget down the road.
"We want all Mainers to have access to quality, affordable health care," LePage said in a statement, but not if it puts more "burden on hard-working Maine taxpayers and families."
"There is no free lunch," he added.
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