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Bennett proposed a new medical debt relief program to help the 40% of Maine households, he said, that are saddled with medical debt, according to a Consumers for Affordable Health Care survey this year, with most of that debt incurred while people were insured.
Bennett rejected the proposal—now before the Maine State Legislature—to cap hospital bills to patients with private insurance at 200% of the Medicare reimbursement rate.
"I won't be voting for that," he said.
Tensions are rising between lawmakers and major health care providers. It all boils down to a bill that primarily strives for affordability.
“Maine people should be able to deserve the health care they need at a fair and responsible price,” Consumers for Affordable Health Care Director of Policy Kate Ende said.
One in three Mainers skipped or delayed medical care because of costs, according to a 2023 study from Consumers for Affordable Health Care. Another report released last week found six in 10 Maine households are just one major medical event away from financial disaster.
A bill in the legislature is designed to tackle those rising costs by capping what hospitals can charge patients, but the proposal is putting hospitals on high alert, saying the bill could detrimentally hurt revenue.
