Funding Maine Schools In Uncertain Times

It’s been a tough few years for Maine students and educators. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic created major disruptions in the routines of our youngest populations and the caring professionals who work with them.

For many schools and universities already facing difficulties, COVID-19 compounded those challenges and introduced a new hurdle: how to ensure a safe learning environment amid a pandemic.

Meanwhile, some parents were making the transition to home-schooling, dramatically shifting enrollment numbers in public schools across the state. Recorded data suggests that the number of children who were homeschooled in Maine grew by as much as 74 percent in 2021 as compared to the year before.

Recognizing the vital role of education funding in a time of uncertainty, Senator Joseph Rafferty of Kennebunk introduced LD 1207 - An Act To Maintain the Current Level of Education Funding.

The bill would require the Commissioner of Education to use student enrollment numbers from the pre-pandemic period to determine operating costs, even if a school’s enrollment declined after 2020. This would ensure that schools aren’t funded based on a fluctuating or likely inaccurate number of students as many continue to transition in and out of the school system.

The act was written as an emergency bill, which means LD 1207 would take effect immediately if it were to be passed by a two-thirds majority in both houses of the Maine Legislature.

After two years of managing the pandemic, it’s clear that there is still much more work to be done. We applaud Senator Rafferty for taking this step to ensure appropriate education funding goes to our public schools during Maine’s recovery.

Addressing The Rising Costs of Prescription Medication

Every year thousands of Mainers are forced to cope with the sky-rocketing costs of prescription medication by forgoing the healthcare they need.

Last year alone, nearly one in three Maine adults skipped a dose of their medicine, split their pills in half, or didn't fill a prescription because of the cost. The long-lasting economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has done little to alleviate these concerns for many Mainers.

This legislative session lawmakers in Augusta are once again looking to make prescription drugs more affordable for Maine families.

Much to the dismay of the pharmaceutical industry, Senator Ned Claxton has introduced LD 1636, An Act To Reduce Prescription Drug Costs by Using International Pricing. This bill would require a study to see how much Mainers could be saving if we utilized an international reference rate for the 100 most utilized and 100 most costly drugs.

During a February hearing on the proposed legislation, Senator Claxton and Mainers across the state voiced their support for the model bill, which was drafted and supported by the National Academy for State Health Policy’s Center for Drug Pricing.

“LD 1636 is an attempt to decrease the amount of money that the state of Maine and those who are insured by it pay annually for medicines,” Senator Claxton said. “By tying rates to well-established processes in Canada, we could save significant money for both the state and those who are insured by it."

Our lawmakers recognize that older Mainers, middle-to-low-income families, and people living with disabilities are disproportionately affected by the rising costs of prescription medication. Mainers for Working Families applauds Senator Claxton for taking steps to combat the rising costs of prescription drugs in Maine.

Easy Enrollment: Ensuring Every Mainer has Affordable Healthcare

Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more important for Mainers to have access to affordable healthcare. Yet costs continue to skyrocket, and it is even harder to receive care than it was before. It’s believed that about 5.1 percent of Mainers lack health insurance right now.

That’s why Rep. Dr. Richard Evans of Dover-Foxcroft introduced LD 1390, “An Act To Maximize Health Care Coverage for the Uninsured through Easy Enrollment in the MaineCare Program or in a Qualified Health Plan in the Marketplace.” If enacted, the bill would help the state identify individuals and families that do not have health insurance, but who may be eligible for MaineCare or a health plan in the Maine Health Insurance Marketplace, by asking tax filers about their health insurance status on state income tax forms. The Department of Health and Human Services and the Maine Health Insurance Marketplace (CoverME), respectively, would then contact uninsured individuals and families and help them to enroll in an affordable health insurance program.

WATCH: Rep. Richard Evans on LD 1390

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Dr. Evans explained why an early enrollment program is a critical tool in the pursuit of affordable healthcare in his testimony to the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee:

“Too often, individuals and families find that trying to navigate the system by themselves becomes overwhelming and perplexing. They simply give up, postponing necessary preventive care because they cannot access the system or get the help that they so desperately need. Others do not have a computer and many more do not have broadband access. Still others simply cannot afford the associated costs of health care, and their primary source of care becomes the emergency room. This should not have to happen, but for many it is their only recourse. The health care ‘churn’ is not only burdensome, but it is also disruptive to patient care continuity and can lead to poorer health outcomes.”

“The whole purpose behind LD 1390 is that rather than having the patient jump through hoops, to have the state be proactive,” Dr. Evans added in an interview with Mainers for Working Families.

The Maine House and Senate passed LD 1390, which is now sitting on the appropriations table awaiting funding. The bill must receive funding from the Appropriations Committee this session in order to become law.

We applaud Rep. Evans for his work to expand healthcare options for all Mainers, and we hope LD 1390 will make its way to Governor Mills’ desk in the very near future.