Liberty and justice for all. These are words that have deep meaning to us, yet sometimes we have blind spots that make it hard to see that some people who have experienced a lifetime of economic disparities and inequities have never had justice. Economic justice is the idea that the economy will be healthier if we create meaningful opportunities for everyone to succeed. This concept often fails to reach back to provide justice for those who were not given a fair chance to succeed. Not only is it never too late for justice, but there also couldn’t be a better time to provide justice to thousands of older Mainers who didn’t have a fair chance and are now struggling to make ends meet.

The 2021 Report on the Economic Security of Older Women in Maine highlighted the grim reality of these struggles. Maine women over 60 are nearly two times more likely than men in the same age group to live at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, and 12% of women over 80 live in poverty, compared to 6% of men over 80. Tens of thousands of older women who live alone don’t have enough money to meet their basic needs.

This isn’t surprising, since it wasn’t until 1974 that women were entitled to have a bank account, a credit card or a mortgage in their own names. They were penalized by Social Security and didn’t pay into retirement each time they left the workforce to care for children or older relatives. Even today women still earn less than men, and work traditionally done by women remains undervalued.

Women are not the only group to face hardships in later life because of intentional economic disadvantages. Nationally, 17% of LGBTQ+ individuals have incomes below the federal poverty level compared to 12% of straight people; 2018 data show Black or African American Mainers are more than three times as likely to experience poverty as their white counterparts; nationally, women of color over 80 years old live in poverty at a rate of 20%, and 52% of Mainers with a disability live in or near poverty, as opposed to 22% with no disability.

A bill pending in the Legislature, L.D. 1522, would lift historically disadvantaged older Mainers out of poverty and give them a better chance to live their lives with dignity and in good health. The proposal promises economic justice by expanding eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program, a program that offers older people with lower incomes help to pay for some or all of their Medicare premiums, deductibles, copayments and coinsurance. It pays for the Part B premium, which is taken from Social Security income, which would put money back into the pockets of older Mainers.

This is a change we can – and must – make, and it’s a win-win. Most of the increase in eligibility is paid for by the federal government and this decreases state spending on other programs. This change ensures that older people with lower incomes can have enough money to meet their basic needs. The time for justice for older Mainers is now.

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