I worked for about 15 years in and around MaineCare, Maine’s Medicaid system. I’ve seen many aspects of the mega machine that is the Medicaid system. What I learned is there is work to do to improve the individual pieces of the system into a more collaborative process. This will reduce the tangle of red tape that slows down MaineCare and allow it to better serve elderly, disabled, and low-income Mainers.
I’ve heard the stories of my neighbors here in Somerset County. I have bared witness to the need for infrastructure in mental, behavioral, and substance abuse treatment programs. Providing sustainable reimbursements for Optical and Dental Services is a must. There needs to be investment into residential programs for youth and adults with mental and behavioral health needs; with places like Spurwink Services, in Cornville, closing, these services are few and far between to sufficiently help Mainers.
There have been 2 major life events that have shown me, personally, how rigged our healthcare system is by commercial insurance conglomerates and the pharmaceutical companies who profit from them. Happy to tell you more over coffee sometime, but they were what led me to believe a Universal Healthcare System could be a better and more sustainable approach in our future.
Your body, your choice. I stand for personal autonomy for your healthcare, and will vote for nothing less.