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Maine lawmakers expanded the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit in 2023, allowing an estimated 157,000 dependent adults and children in families with the lowest incomes to receive the full credit for the first time. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 22, 2024

ME lawmakers increase aid for families experiencing deep poverty

Gov. Janet Mills has signed legislation to increase temporary assistance payments to families experiencing deep poverty. Payments will increase by 2…

Medicare Savings Programs help people with limited income and resources pay for some or all of their Medicare costs. Enrollment in these MSPs puts more than $2,000 back into the wallets of seniors and adults with disabilities each year, according to AARP Maine. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Supplemental budget puts Maine’s Medicare Savings Programs at risk

Some 30,000 Mainers could lose access to critical healthcare benefits under Gov. Janet Mills' proposed supplemental budget. The state legislature …

New survey data from Maine's Consumers for Affordable Health Care found two of three Mainers said they would have difficulty paying a $500 medical expense.(Adobe Stock)

ME survey shows support for transparent hospital prices, facility fee limits

A new survey reveals most Mainers support policies requiring medical providers to disclose their facility fees before they receive treatment…

Consumer advocates say the growth of health care facility fees stems from an increasingly consolidated health care provider market, highly complex billing systems, and frequently inadequate health insurance coverage. (Adobe Stock)

Facility fees add to Mainers' growing concerns over medical debt

Maine lawmakers are calling for greater transparency in how hospitals and other health care centers charge so-called facility fees. A legislative …

It is estimated that Mainers facing hunger would need a total of $97,584,000 more income per year to adequately meet their food needs, according to Feeding America. (Adobe Stock)

Maine food banks meet growing demand as Farm Bill lags

Food banks in Maine are struggling to keep up with demand as the Farm Bill remains stalled in Congress. The bill is renegotiated every five years …

Latino children in Maine fare better than their peers nationwide, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation report. An estimated 70% of Latino children in Maine live in families with incomes at or above 200% of the poverty line, compared to 47% of Latino children nationally. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Report finds gaps in child well-being persist across Maine

Children of color in Maine fare relatively well compared to their peers nationwide, but gaps in child well-being persist - according to a new report…

Twenty-seven states had a higher percentage of people with health insurance coverage in 2022 than in 2021. But Maine was the only state where the uninsured rate increased, up to 6.6% in 2022 from 5.7%, according to the Census Bureau. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Mainers get another chance at open enrollment for health coverage

Healthcare advocates in Maine say people who missed the most recent open enrollment deadline for healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act h…

The price of Enbrel, used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis, has increased by 701% since coming to market in 1998, and the price of Januvia, used to treat diabetes, has increased by 275% since 2006, according to AARP. (Adobe Stock)

Mainers Celebrate First Step in Lowering Medicare Drug Prices

Hundreds of thousands of Mainers are expected to benefit from the Biden Administration's recent announcement that it will begin drug price negotiation…

Mainers offered family insurance plans through their workplace that cost more than 9.12% of the total family income may qualify for more affordable healthcare coverage through the health insurance marketplace. (Adobe Stock)

MaineCare Recipients Urged to Update Forms to Ensure Coverage

Public health advocates are working to ensure Medicaid recipients in Maine continue to have health care coverage as pandemic-era policies have ended…

Around 65% of rural counties in the United States do not have psychiatrists, and more than 60% of rural Americans live in areas lacking mental-health providers, according to the Journal of Clinical and Translational Sciences. (Adobe Stock)

Broadband Funds Could Improve Mental Health Care in Rural ME

Health care providers in Maine hope an influx of federal dollars to expand high-speed internet service will improve access to mental health care in Ma…

Maine ranks first in the nation for having the lowest percentage of children in families where the head of household lacks a high school diploma, at 4%, compared to the national rate of 11%, according to a new report. (Adobe Stock) <br />

ME Parents Struggle with Lack of Affordable, Accessible Child Care

CLARIFICATION: Percentages of students' reading and math scores were clarified. (12:46 p.m. MDT, June 14, 2023) Maine ranks 12th in the nation on …

47% of Mainers who have hospital-related medical debt are not aware that hospitals in Maine are required to provide medically-necessary care for free to residents who meet certain income guidelines. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Majority of Mainers Concerned with Medical Debt, Rising Healthcare Costs

Most Mainers believe they are one medical emergency or illness away from financial disaster, according to a new survey. The non-profit Consumers …

Maine labor law allows tipped employees to be paid a lower cash wage than the standard minimum wage by their employers, as up to $5.50 in tips earned per hour can be deducted from their wage as a

ME Lawmakers Aim to Raise Minimum Wage to $24 by 2033

Maine lawmakers are considering legislation to raise the state's minimum wage to $24 an hour by 2033. The current minimum wage of $13.80 would jump …

Leaders of the Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Nations tell state lawmakers tribal sovereignty would bring federal funding, and jobs. Research shows per-capita income for non-Maine tribes grew by 61% between 1989 and 2020, yet only 9% for Wabanaki Nations. (Wabanaki Alliance)

Wabanaki Nations Seek Tribal Sovereignty from Maine

Leaders of the Wabanaki Nations are asking Maine lawmakers to recognize tribal sovereignty and help ensure a better economic future for their youth…

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low of 8% in early 2022, with 5.2 million people having gained coverage since 2020. (Adobe Stock)

End of Public Health Emergency Brings Changes to Mainers' Medicaid Coverage

Public health advocates are working to ensure Medicaid recipients in Maine continue to have health-care coverage once pandemic-era policies end this s…

An average hotel room costs municipalities roughly $240 per night for one family and with families often scattered at various locations, social services can be difficult to administer. Transitional housing units would alleviate both costs and service gaps. (Adobe Stock)

More Transitional Housing Needed for Increased Asylum Seekers in Maine

The growing number of asylum-seekers in Maine has spurred cities and towns to join forces and build more transitional housing for families in need…

A 2020 Government Accountability Office report found the IRS had not revoked a hospital's nonprofit status on the basis of providing inadequate community benefits, or charity care, over the prior ten years. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Hospital Charity Care Could Help More Mainers Avoid Medical Debt

Maine requires its hospitals to provide medically necessary care to its residents at no charge as a condition of receiving tax-exempt status…

If Congress reinstates the Child Tax Credit, a family with one child under six would<br />receive an annual $3,600,, providing significant help to cope with rising food and energy prices. (Adobe Stock)

Inflation Relief Payments Not Enough to Help ME Families in Need

With food and energy prices soaring, the one-time $850 inflation relief checks for Mainers could not arrive at a better time, but advocates for low-…

During the pandemic, 141 child-care centers closed in Maine, and many more closed temporarily. That's limited some women from getting back into the workforce. (Rafael Ben-Ari/Adobe Stock)

Report: Gaps in Data Limit Maine's Ability to Support Marginalized Women

A new report finds the pandemic disproportionately impacted women, but that gaps in data limit Maine's ability to help those in need. Women are …

Concerns over the cost of prescription drugs led 30% of Maine adults to not fill a prescription, cut pills in half or skip doses of their medicine. (Bonsales/Adobe Stock)

Maine AARP: Focus on Seniors This Legislative Session

With the Maine legislative session under way, advocates for older Americans say residents need action on issues from prescription-drug costs and …

Maine now has the third-highest minimum wage in New England, after Connecticut and Massachusetts. (Adobe Stock)

ME Minimum Wage Now 60 Cents Higher Than Last Year

Mainers working for minimum wage will see a modest increase in their paychecks starting this month, as inflation has driven it to $12.75 an hour…

If passed, Build Back Better would allocate additional funding for home and community-based care for seniors and people with disabilities. (Miguel Tamayo)

ME Labor Leader: Child Care, Pre-K, CTC Needed to Boost Working Families

With the future of the Build Back Better Act in doubt in Congress, labor leaders are urging Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to get on board to improve …

More than 2.8 million Americans signed up for health insurance coverage through the online marketplace during the 2021 Special Enrollment Period. (onephoto/Adobe Stock)

Mainers Could Get Help Paying ACA Marketplace Plan Premiums

AUGUSTA, Maine -- With open enrollment deadlines for the Affordable Care Act marketplace approaching, groups are urging Mainers to make sure they've …

More than 16,000 kids live in households that are set to lose extra federal unemployment benefits on Sept. 4. (momius/Adobe Stock)

End to Extra Federal Jobless Aid to Impact Tens of Thousands of Mainers

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Expanded federal unemployment programs are set to expire early next month, and economic policy analysts said it will negatively …

Maine is among the first states to pass a bill for free school meals for all students, regardless of household income. (WaveBreakMediaMicro/Adobe Stock)

Parents Urged: Complete School Meal Forms Even Though Lunches are Free

AUGUSTA, Maine -- School meals in Maine will be free for all students again this year and into the future, but parents are being urged to fill out …

Nearly 300,000 Maine kids will benefit from the expanded Advance Child Tax Credit. (fizkes/Adobe Stock)

ME Parents, Advocates: Make Expanded Child Tax Credit Permanent

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Parents are now receiving fully refundable monthly 2021 Advance Child Tax Credit payments, and advocates for children and families …

Approximately 23% of Maine kids lived in households with a high housing cost burden in 2019, compared with 33% in 2010. (Daniel Jedzura/Adobe Stock)

Report: Child Tax Credit to Benefit More than 90% of Maine Kids

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Child wellbeing in Maine improved between 2010 and 2019, according to a new annual report, but advocates for children and families …

The American Rescue Plan would create a $25 billion emergency child-care stabilization fund. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates for Children, Families Say Mainers Need COVID Relief

AUGUSTA, Maine -- As Maine families struggle to recover from the pandemic's economic fallout, advocates for children and families say quick passage …

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, led a group of Republican senators in negotiations with President Joe Biden over a COVID relief package. (Wikimedia Commons)

Groups Press Sen. Collins: Mainers Need COVID Relief

AUGUSTA, Maine -- As negotiations over a COVID-19 relief package continue in Washington, advocates for struggling Mainers say Congress can't afford …

According to the Maine State Housing Authority, the federal CARES Act added approximately $3 million toward the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as well as the Energy Crisis Intervention Program, which helps low-income people at risk of disconnection in Maine this year. (Alexs/Adobe)

Utility Moratorium Ends, Partly to Help Some Low-Income Mainers

AUGUSTA, Maine -- The Maine Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) is ending its emergency moratorium on utility disconnections due to COVID-19. But …

This Maine Seacoast Mission pantry in Cherryfield has expanded its hours to serve more people since the COVID-19 pandemic. (Maine Seacoast Mission/Facebook)

Nonprofit Gets Creative to Deliver Food to Maine Islands

BAR HARBOR, Maine - Demand for emergency food from food pantries is up around 50% in Maine since the COVID-19 outbreak. And when you live on an …

More than 21,000 people in Maine filed unemployment claims last week, a more than 3,000% increase over the prior week. More than one third of these claims came from the hospitality sector. (Michael M Stokes/Creative Commons)

Maine Renters Facing Eviction Threats Amid COVID-19

AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. Janet Mills said at a press conference this week she would not declare an eviction moratorium for the state of Maine, …

Most individuals receiving Social Security benefits with incomes of less than $75,000 will be eligible for a stimulus check. (Open Grid Scheduler/Grid Engine/Creative Commons)

How COVID-19 Stimulus Will Impact Folks with Disabilities in Maine, U.S.

PORTLAND, Maine -- President Donald Trump signed a $2 trillion relief package to help most U.S. residents deal with the COVID-19 outbreak. But the …

Nearly 2 million children age five and younger were missed in the 2010 census. (AdobeStock)

2020 Census: Maine's Kids Need Counted, Too

AUGUSTA, Maine -- Amid the chaos of the coronavirus pandemic, Maine families are being reminded about an important civic duty. Households now are …

According to AARP Maine, nearly 180-thousand people care for a family member, about 13% of the state's population. (Sabine van Erp/Pixabay)

Maine Considering Tax Credit for Family Caregivers

AUGUSTA, Maine -- A bill that would provide a tax credit for family caregivers in Maine is getting a public hearing Thursday at the State House…

Combined with other resources, the Senior Housing Bond will generate more than $45.8 million to build affordable housing for lower-income Mainers, age 55 and older. (Piman Khrutmuang/Adobe Stock)

Senior Housing Bond to Create 212 New Units

AUGUSTA, Maine - With the awarding of $14.5 million of the Senior Housing Bond, Maine is set to create more than 200 new, affordable housing units …

Immigrants in Maine and throughout New England can no longer be detained during their immigration proceedings without the government justifying the reason for the detention in court. (Paul-W/Creative Commons)

Maine Immigrants to Benefit from New Changes to Bond Hearings

AUGUSTA, Maine – Starting now, immigration courts in New England, including Maine, can no longer detain undocumented immigrants in bond …

Maine was the only state in the Northeast that blocked Medicaid expansion, which explains part of why it had the highest rate of children who were uninsured in the region last year. (LMMiller9/Pixabay)

Maine: Highest Rate of Uninsured Children in Northeast in 2018

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine had the highest rate of uninsured children in the Northeast in 2018, according to new findings. The Georgetown University …

Nine thousand Maine children live in areas of concentrated poverty, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

Many Maine Families Have Bounced Back from Recession, Out of Poverty

AUGUSTA, Maine — The number of Maine children living in concentrated poverty is back to pre-recession levels, according to a new data snapshot …

More than 4,000 parents and caretaker relatives have signed up for MaineCare Expansion this year. (BewitchingGrace/Creative Commons)

Maine Ranks Low in Increasing Insurance Rate for Mothers

AUGUSTA, Maine – According to a new report, Maine ranked among the five worst states in decreasing the uninsured rate for women of childbearing …

For every 100 extremely low-income households in Maine, only 52 homes are affordable and available. (larissal1234/Twenty20)

Report: Serious Affordable-Housing Shortage in Maine, U.S.

PORTLAND, Maine - There's a severe shortage of affordable rental housing for extremely low-income households across the United States, and according …

In Maine, about 13 percent of the population provides caregiving to a family member. (Vimeo/Creative Commons)

Maine Bill Aims to Pay Family Caregivers of Medicaid Users

AUGUSTA, Maine – A bill in the Maine Legislature is aimed at paying spouses who provide caregiving services for partners on Medicaid. H.P…

Seniors seeking low-cost housing soon will have more options in Maine. (Twenty20)

Millions of Dollars of Senior Housing Bonds Released in Maine

AUGUSTA, Maine - Gov. Janet Mills on Tuesday signed off on $15 million of state bonds for affordable senior housing in Maine, more than three years …

The rate of homelessness in Maine falls in line with the national average. (Max Pixel/Creative Commons)

New England Research Ties Homelessness to Rental Housing Costs

PORTLAND, Maine — New research shows that while homelessness in the United States may be down overall, it's still rising in the most expensive …

Gov.-elect Janet Mills, who most recently served as Maine's attorney general, is already familiar with such issues as the debt industry's impact on older consumers. (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau/Wikimedia Commons)

AARP Maine Expects Policy Changes with New Administration

PORTLAND, Maine — AARP Maine is thinking ahead to the New Year and a new administration as it sets priorities for helping seniors across the …

Expanding Medicaid in Maine would bring health coverage to an estimated 70,000 lower-income adults. (corgaasbeek/Pixabay)

Report Finds Big Benefits in Medicaid Expansion

AUGUSTA, Maine – The Medicaid expansion should dramatically decrease the number of low-income Mainers without health insurance, according to a …

More than half of older Mainers are concerned they won't be able to afford the health care they need, a new AARP survey shows. (pexels)

Health, Financial Security Top Concerns for Older Voters

AUGUSTA, Maine – Maine's most active voters want political candidates to address their concerns about health care and retirement security…

Fresh berries might be a luxury on a senior's fixed income. Maine has the 12th highest senior food insecurity rate in the nation. (Madison Inouye/Pexels)

Some Maine Seniors Go Hungry When They Could Get Help

BANGOR, Maine – Maine has more older residents than any other New England state, and the highest level of food insecurity in this part of the …

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ME: Poverty Issues