On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House proposed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", which proposes substantial changes the national economy and U.S. tax codes. The bill's impact on healthcare is significant. Here's what Mainers need to know.
MaineCare, our state's Medicaid program, will be undeniably impacted by these budget cuts, as quoted in the story above. Similarly, this new bill proposes work requirements for the first time to Medicaid eligibility, though pointed not for those over 65 years of age. While MaineCare is known for it's low cost or free coverage, these funding changes may change that for those not on Medicare and may lead to more copays and/or premiums for younger MaineCare beneficiaries.
Medicare faces budget cuts as well, though fortunately public uproar may help keep it protected. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said Tuesday he’d spoken with Trump directly and the president wasn’t in favor of doing anything on Medicare.
“He said people who play around with Medicare lose elections,”
As always, I am here to answer your questions on how these federal changes will impact your coverage in Maine, and I'll pass along any developments as state governments respond to these new directives.
