In her letter published July 21, defending her vote against Medicaid expansion for Mainers, Rep. Karen Vachon, R-Scarborough, writes: “The worst thing you can do to someone in need of health care is to give them something and then take it away.”
No, Rep. Vachon, the worst thing you can do is to not provide insurance so that your cancer can be diagnosed when it is still treatable and before it has spread and will kill you.
And if the Democratic candidate for governor wins this November, Medicaid insurance won’t be taken away from Mainers.
Do remember that the Legislature already voted to fund the expansion, but Gov. LePage vetoed it.
Rep. Vachon also writes that when it comes to treating opioid addiction, “proponents of Medicaid expansion see it as the be-all and end-all solution.” No, we don’t.
We see the $500 million a year that we will receive as a part of the solution to provide treatment and to help our rural hospitals survive.
She is right about one thing though: “Good work gets done when you work together.”
We just wish that had happened more frequently with the past Republican House members and the governor.
Cooperation will be restored when we elect Janet Mills and more Democrats to the House and Senate.
Sandra and Ole Jaeger
Georgetown
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