Central Maine Medical Center is about to be acquired by an out-of-state nominally non-profit corporation, Inland Hospital in Waterville has CLOSED, four Maine birthing units have CLOSED, and a number of primary care and psychiatric clinics have closed in 2025 alone. Anthem Insurance and Northern Light Health are fighting over money, and thousands of patients not only will pay MORE for healthcare, but they may be forced to change their doctors or travel longer distances to receive healthcare. Thousands more Mainers are facing eye-popping private insurance rate increases, and many thousands more are losing MaineCare.

National health spending continues to grow at a rapid clip, year after year, with the latest figures from 2022 showing a 4.1% increase from 2021, to $4.5 trillion. By controlling costs, reducing providers’ administrative burdens, getting rid of waste and eliminating excess profits, that is more than enough to finance all medically necessary care for every U.S. resident while totally eliminating out-of-pocket spending. Studies done in Maine show that a state-based universal healthcare system could cover all Mainers for what we are currently spending on health care in Maine. 

Medicare for All is THE solution to Maine’s health care crisis. However, if Congress fails to act, states like Maine can lead the way with state-based universal health care, just as Saskatchewan led the way to Canadian Medicare for All.