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Ann Woloson, executive director of the Maine-based nonprofit Consumers for Affordable Health Care, said in an interview Friday that the impacts of the new rule would be devastating for many who already have difficulty affording their medications.
Many people have high-deductible insurance plans or those where the patient has to pay a certain percentage of drug costs. In those cases, insurance would not protect people from paying thousands in out-of-pocket costs, Woloson said.
“It’s another sad example of how our current administration is going to make it harder for people to afford the healthcare they need,” she said.
Thirty-two percent of Maine residents surveyed this year by Consumers for Affordable Health Care reported that they took fewer pills than prescribed to save money.
Kate Ende, policy director for the group Consumers for Affordable Health Care, said data can show how insurance premiums or prescription drug prices are rising but personal stories help state officials find ways to lower costs.
"We hear from people through our helpline who are delaying an appointment, putting off a procedure, stretching a prescription or taking on medical debt because of the cost, and those experiences really need to be part of the conversation," Ende stressed.
The hearing takes place Sept. 23, at the Department of Health and Human Services building in Augusta. Mainers can register to speak in person or virtually, or submit written testimony by Oct. 2.
Changes to the federal Medicaid program are being implemented following last year’s passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Starting Oct. 1, some noncitizens,
including refugees, will no longer be eligible for full coverage under MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program. Three months later, on Jan. 1, new work requirements will kick in for MaineCare Expansion, which provides low-cost insurance to low-income adults ages 19-64.
Ende pointed out people's medical needs do not disappear when they lose their health insurance.
"People are already struggling to afford healthcare in Maine, so these changes are certainly going to exacerbate that," Ende cautioned.
Kate Ende, policy director for the group Consumers for Affordable Health Care, said data can show how insurance premiums or prescription drug prices are rising but personal stories help state officials find ways to lower costs.
“We hear from people through our helpline who are delaying an appointment, putting off a procedure, stretching a prescription or taking on medical debt because of the cost, and those experiences really need to be part of the conversation,” Ende stressed.
The hearing takes place Sept. 23, at the Department of Health and Human Services building in Augusta. Mainers can register to speak in person or virtually, or submit written testimony by Oct. 2.
