In Maine, Medicaid is known as MaineCare. It is a state-federal health insurance program that provides provides comprehensive coverage of health and long-term care services to over 365,000 low-income people in Maine. Across the state, 20 percent of the population is served by Medicaid.

Medicaid is the foundation of Maine’s health care safety-net, ensuring access to essential services for low-income families, seniors, people with disabilities, and rural communities. As a vital program serving hundreds of thousands across the state, Medicaid funding directly supports community health centers, hospitals, and other provider types, keeping care accessible and affordable for those who need it most.

 

Medicaid's Role in Maine

  • Essential Health Services – Covers primary and preventive care, maternal health, chronic disease management, mental health services, and more.
  • Sustaining Community Health Centers & Hospitals – Medicaid ensures rural and community-based providers can keep their doors open and continue serving vulnerable populations.
  • Economic Stability – Medicaid supports thousands of health care jobs across Maine, bolstering local economies and workforce stability.


About CHCs and Medicaid
Maine’s Community Health Centers (CHCs) deliver comprehensive, high-quality, affordable primary and preventive care and reduce overall costs for the health care system. Located in all 16 Maine counties, CHCs care for more than 200,000 people each year at over 80 service sites. Collectively, Maine’s CHCs make up the largest, independent primary care network in the state, improving access to essential health care services in communities with shortages of providers, in both isolated rural and densely populated urban areas. They also integrate services such as behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment, dental care, and pharmacy. CHCs depend primarily on Medicaid and federal grants to sustain their operations.


Medicaid’s Role in Sustaining CHCs in Maine*

  • The 60,431 Medicaid enrollees served by CHCs in Maine in 2023 represent 16% —1 in 6—of the state’s total Medicaid enrollees.
  • CHC patients enrolled in Medicaid include more than:
    - 24,000 Medicaid enrollees who are children under age 18,
    - 35,000 adults aged 18 and older, and
    - 15,000 who are dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid
  • Overall, 1 in 3 (30 percent) patients were covered by Medicaid.
  • Medicaid accounted for 28 percent of patient care revenue in 2023.
  • Maine CHCs account for only 2% of the Medicaid spend.

*Source: The Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health at The George Washington University. 


Impact of Medicaid Cuts on CHC Patients and Care
Medicaid funding reductions now being considered by Congress would be devastating for patients and CHCs’ ability to furnish care, resulting in widespread loss of insurance by health center patients as the state loses federal funding critical to maintaining program operations, and a crippling loss of Medicaid revenue needed to maintain CHC operations and staffing.

Analysis from Capital Link's Medicaid Reduction Model highlights the risks of reducing Medicaid funding:

  • Millions in lost health care dollars, leading to likely service reductions and workforce cuts.
  • Longer wait times and fewer providers, disproportionately affecting rural and underserved areas.
  • Increased financial strain on CHCs and other provider types, forcing difficult decisions about patient care and operations.

More specifically, Capital Link's analysis illustrates the at-risk population and financial implications for CHCs across the network if there is a roll-back of ACA Medicaid expansion eligibility and ACA marketplace coverage. This analysis found that for Maine's CHC network:

  • Cumulative loss of ACA Medicaid expansion between 2025-2028: 19,700 Medicaid adults ages 18-64
  • Projected CHC network loss of revenue for ACA Medicaid expansion patients between 2025-2028: $117,902,238


Protecting Medicaid for the Future

Preserving Medicaid means protecting Maine’s most vulnerable populations and ensuring access to quality, affordable care. A strong Medicaid program strengthens our communities, reduces overall health care costs, and safeguards the health of our state.

Medicaid isn’t just a program—it’s a promise. A commitment to care and the well-being of every Mainer.


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