Lives on the line in health care debate

By Rep. Mark Eves
(D-North Berwick)

    It’s hard to imagine being a veteran in this country and not being able to afford health care.
    For Tom Ptacek, a U.S. Navy veteran, who now works and lives in Portland, that became a reality this winter.
    Unfortunately, 2,700 veterans like Tom and tens of thousands of other Mainers have no health care.
    Last year, Gov. LePage and a majority of Republican lawmakers turned down an unprecedented deal from the federal government to fully fund health care coverage for tens of thousands of Mainers.

    As a result of their action, each day Maine loses out on $1 million in economic investment. And, each day, lives are on the line. Study after study from non-partisan sources, such the Kaiser Foundation or universities like Harvard, or the RAND Institute have shown that these federal dollars will save lives and money for states that choose to expand their Medicaid health care programs.
    Plus, accepting this money would save and boost thousands of jobs, according to Maine Center for Economic Policy.
    While our neighbors in New England and other states around the country are reaping the benefits of those federal dollars, the people of Maine are losing out.
    Mainers routinely support initiatives to fund highway and clean water projects with federal dollars.
    If this were an opportunity for federal dollars for a ship at Bath Iron Works, or a defense contract, or for highways and bridges, we would seize the opportunity and celebrate.
    But because we are talking about health care, the governor has put on political blinders.
    Gov. LePage fashions himself as a businessman, but I ask you what CEO would turn down hundreds of millions of dollars to boost a company’s bottom line simply because of politics? What CEO would allow dollars to flow to his or her competitors or forgo new jobs simply because of ideology?
    Gov. LePage’s refusal to accept these federal dollars for health care is bad for our economy and our people. Laura Tasheiko of Northport is one of those people.
    She has been undergoing treatment for an aggressive case of cancer. Laura was fortunate to get the life-saving care she needed because she qualified for health care through Medicaid. But in January she was dropped and left without coverage, as she continues her recovery from the ongoing and debilitating effects of cancer, surgery, and chemotherapy.
    The heart wrenching stories like Laura’s and so many like her are part of what prompted reasonable lawmakers from both parties to renew our efforts to compromise. We are working on a new bipartisan proposal that will be up for a vote in the coming weeks.
    In the meantime, Gov. LePage and his allies in the Legislature will do anything to misinform the public about health care and the compromise we’ve been working on.
    They’ll even go so far as to say health care spending has cannibalized the state budget when in fact what’s really cannibalizing the budget is the governor’s tax cuts for the wealthy.
    Nonpartisan studies have shown that by accepting federal funds, Maine’s budget will see more than $600 million dollars of savings over the next 10 years.
    In fact, the nonpartisan Kaiser Foundation has shown that those states that choose to accept federal dollars for health care will see even slower growth in Medicaid costs.
    We’ve also heard opponents of health care suggest that there is an “alternative” to accepting these health care dollars. They say some Mainers who qualify for Medicaid could simply buy into the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges. The Bangor Daily News rightly urged the Maine public “not to be fooled” by this alternative in an editorial on Feb. 7.
    A partial expansion is not an option under the law. Plus, it would leave some of our poorest citizens with no health care.
    Opponents of health care expansion have even gone so far as to mock sick people who need health care by ostracizing them for taking “welfare.” Medicaid provides life-saving health care.
    The governor prefers to distract the public by labeling it welfare because he has the worst record of private sector job growth in the country. Instead of looking for opportunity to help Maine people and our economy, the Governor blames our poorest citizens for his economic failures.
    Health care is right, not a privilege for those who can afford it. No one should go bankrupt because of mounting medical bills.
    Don’t be distracted and don’t be fooled.
    Urge your lawmakers to stand on the right side of Maine families and our economy.
    Rep. Eves is Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives.