Photo by Marie Follayttar
Maine reaches a breaking point in health care infrastructure and insurance costs as the U.S. Senate fails to secure ACA subsidies
Manchester, Maine — December 13, 2025
Maine is on the verge of a multi-pronged health care crisis. Federal changes to Medicaid, the U.S. Senate’s inability to renew subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, alongside long-standing affordability and access gaps, are projected to cost Maine billions and trigger deep operating losses in already strained hospitals. As health care costs rise, new polling shows more than 60% of Mainers support Medicare for All.
The Pan Atlantic 67th Omnibus Poll Results shows 41% of Mainers rank health care access and affordability as the second most important issue facing the state of Maine after rising cost in living. The poll also showed 63% of Mainers support Medicare for All. 41% of Mainers overwhelmingly support Medicare for All; 22% somewhat support it. A Pew poll released on December 10th indicated that 66% of national respondents indicated that the federal government should ensure that all have health care coverage.
A More Perfect Union poll in October of Maine voters showed, “72% of Maine voters support Medicare For All…and just 22% oppose it. 67% say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate that supports it.” A Data for Progress poll of national voters in November showed that 65% of all voters support a Medicare for All system. 78% of Democrats, 71% of independents and 49% of Republicans supported what was described as a “national health insurance program..that would cover all Americans and replace most private health insurance plans.”
Despite such widespread support the Medicare for All bill in the U.S. Senate currently has only 17 Cosponsors. The House bill has 110 Cosponsors. In Maine, Representative Pingree is a long time Cosponsor. Senator King, Senator Collins and Representative Golden did not co-sponsor or indicate they would vote to support the bill. On November 3, 2025, Dr. Julie Keller Pease of Topsham, Chair of Maine AllCare, delivered a petition to the federal delegation signed by 350 medical providers and healthcare reform supporters, urging our delegation to support the bill, while thanking Representative Pingree for her longstanding support. Dr. Pease led a delegation of providers attending a Physicians for a National Health Program(PHNP) conference including Dr. Robert Lodato of Charleston who practices medicine in Dover-Foxcroft. Maine AllCare is a chapter of PHNP.
Meanwhile, the cuts to our health care system have broad financial implications. In addition to Medicaid cuts and unrenewed ACA premium subsidies, the cost of implementing changes to oversight of the Medicaid program that were mandated by the federal budget reconciliation law will add an estimated $5.0 billion in MaineCare costs over ten years, according to the Maine Health and Human Services Department.
The anticipated economic impacts of the budget reconciliation law include a $450 million decline in statewide economic output, a $750 million drop in Maine’s GDP, and the loss of 4,300 state jobs.,The ripple effects have not been charted, but in some rural communities health care systems are among the largest local employers. Maine’s largest employer is Maine Health. Maine’s fifth largest employer is Maine General Health and Maine’s sixth largest employer is Eastern Maine Medical Center. With the federal cuts to Medicaid from the budget reconciliation law Maine’s hospitals are projected to lose $700 million in revenue. Sixteen of the hospitals are expected to lose more than a million dollars annually due to the cuts. The three largest losses are Eastern Maine Medical Center (Bangor): $12.6 million per year, MaineGeneral (Augusta): $8.1 million per year, Maine Medical Center (Portland): $6.8 million per year.
Maine AllCare has tracked health care closures across the state. Maine has experienced the suspension of services or closure across nearly every region. Maine’s system is already under strain.
“Maine needs a sustainable and universal health care system now. Poll after poll show people want Medicare for All. Our leaders can let the current health system continue collapsing – harming families, communities, and the economy of our state – or they can meet the moment and fight like hell to enact change that protects both the people and the future of the state. That is the work Mainers elected them to do and that is what they must do now.” – David Jolly, DrPH of Hancock, Maine.