Maine The Way Life Should Be
Posted on 11/16/2005 8:02:21 AM PST by robowombat
Maine Now Has Biggest Medicaid Population in Nation By IPR Nov 9, 2005, 20:42
PORTLAND -- The Maine Heritage Policy Center today cited updated 2004 data from the Kaiser Family Foundation that shows Maine now has the largest Medicaid program in the country, covering 21 percent of all non-elderly individuals, those under 65 years old, within the state. Almost all Mainers over 65 have Medicare coverage.
"Maine once again is an example for the nation of an unsustainable level of Medicaid spending," said Tarren Bragdon, director of health reform initiatives for The Maine Heritage Policy Center. "Maine is number one in tax burden, and now it is number one in Medicaid. This new data does not bode well for Maine taxpayers."
From 2000 to 2004, the portion of Maine people under 65 on Medicaid increased 9.7 percent, while the uninsured rate dropped a scant 0.4 percent. This means for every 97 new people on Medicaid the number uninsured dropped by just 4. 1 This shift shows that almost all of the increase in Maine Medicaid came from individuals dropping Maine's expe! nsive private health insurance coverage. Maine has had the largest increase of all 50 states in its Medicaid program from 2000 to 2004. 2
"This new data shows that Maine's elected officials need to act soon in lowering Maine exorbitant health insurance costs," said Mr. Bragdon. "There is clearly a correlation between the growth in Medicaid and a reduction in those purchasing private health insurance. Maine has some of the most expensive health premiums in the country as a direct result of Maine's expensive insurance regulations including guaranteed issue and community rating. Elected officials have the ability to lower private health insurance premiums and they must act soon to slow the growth! of Medicaid."
The portion of Maine adults 19-64 on Medicaid is 16 percent or almost one in six - also the highest in the nation, double the national average of 8 percent or about one in twelve. The portion of Maine kids 0-18 on Medicaid is 34 percent over one in three- 7th highest in the nation, 8 percent higher than the national average of 26 percent or one in four.
Maine has maintained a low uninsured rate of 12 percent of non-elderly Mainers. Eight other states have the same or a lower rate of uninsured. 3
Interestingly, Maine's high Medicaid numbers are not driven by a particularly large low-income population, compared to other states. Twenty-two states have the same or a larger portion of their residents who are low income (below 200% of poverty). 4
Stated Mr. Bragdon, "Maine Medicaid has become the TennCare of this decade. In the 1990s Tennessee began its massive Medicaid expansion called TennCare and recently had to drop coverage for over 200,000 individuals because the program was bankrupting the state. Maine is setting itself up for the same problem."
The Kaiser Family Foundation data is available at: www.StateHealthFacts.org.
1 Kaiser Family Foundation. Health Coverage and the Uninsured. Coverage Trends Among Nonelderly. % Point Change by Coverage Type. 2 Kaiser Family Foundation. Health Coverage and the Uninsured. Coverage Trends Among Nonelderly. % Point Change in Medicaid. 3 Kaiser Family Foundation. Health Coverage and the Uninsured. Health Insurance Status: Non-elderly (0-64). 4 Kaiser Family Foundation. Demographics and the Economy. People in Poverty. Distribution by FPL (federal poverty limit).
Nice garden analogy!
I'm so sorry. I hope you are feeling better.
I often what just what the heck we are working for in this state............we have so many homeless and a lot on welfare. Sickening.
No, actually I'm hanging my head in shame. But, I'm only one person, and the Republican Party in Maine is a joke......
No, but the Somolis are more a symptom than the disease itself. Maine apparently is a welfare magnet, which is why the Somalis are there, and why the Medicaid population has increased.
“Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.”
— Ronald Reagan
Here’s a great interview with Art Laffer, the “Father of Supply-Side Economics” :
Q: What’s something that’s true about economics right now that every layperson should know about?
A: If you tax people who work and you pay people who don’t work, do not be surprised if you find a lot of people choosing not to work.
Maine has been busy building retirement communities for the snowbirds who flock to Florida for the cold months, and escape during the heat of the summer.
Maine The Way Life Should Be
I Like Lobstaa
Come on up and enjoy the hiking
This Paaaark has a pool
LOL! I spent four years in Maine, followed by ten years in Arizona(just to thaw out.) If I had to choose one to live in now it would be Arizona in a nanosecond.
$3.75??????? Oh, make me jealous! That's great! Almost worth a trip up there to fix my lobstah jones.
LOL
Those states would make where you and I live look like conservative strongholds.
HELL NO! :D They wouldn't like it because we can't cook most things without adding pork or bacon grease. It's our best defense to ward off muslims. PORK FAT RULES! ;)
At least our refugees can cook some wonderful food. If the states that took them in were smart they would promptly put those people to work in the food service industry to greatly improve the flavors :-D
I agree about Cajun food.
All your chef belong to us!
True, true. At least we have conservative COUNTIES. They're lucky if they have some conservative blocks.
Isn't this the same thing that Howard Dean introduced in Vermont?
lolololololol
"True, true. At least we have conservative COUNTIES. They're lucky if they have some conservative blocks."
Or maybe the token conservative home on a very long street!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.