Along with 345,000 other Mainers, I am a Medicare beneficiary. I am lucky to be able to afford the health care I need, but I am well aware that many of my fellow beneficiaries are not as fortunate. Thousands of them rely upon Medicare Savings Program to afford health care.
This is why I write this opinion letter to express dismay that the governor’s supplemental budget proposes cuts to Maine’s expanded MSPs, which will swiftly undermine strong support of the programs passed by this Legislature in 2023. The proposed cuts to these vital programs will be nothing short of devastating to the thousands of Mainers who need them. The state has alternatives, but at-risk seniors do not.
MSPs help people with limited income and resources pay for some or all of their Medicare costs. For those who qualify, MSPs can help with out-of-pocket costs including premiums, copays, coinsurance and deductibles. Enrollment in MSPs puts over $2,000 back into the pockets of seniors and adults with disabilities each year. Rather than cutting the programs, the state should focus instead on increasing enrollment, thereby helping more low-income seniors afford their health care.
As it stands, I urge our Legislature to reject this supplemental budget that will have appalling results for those who can least absorb the proposed cuts to the MSPs.
Erica Magnus
Windham
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