Maine Governor Gives Stimulus Funds To Hospitals To Pay Down State Medicaid Debt

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 20 Mar 2009 - 6:00 PDT

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Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) on Tuesday signed an executive order allowing the state to use $45 million in federal stimulus money to pay part of the $163 million the state owes to hospitals for treating MaineCare beneficiaries, the AP/Portland Press Herald reports. MaineCare is the state's Medicaid program. The governor and the Maine Hospital Association in 2006 made a commitment to repay the debt over four years. Baldacci proposed that next year the state make a payment of an additional $57 million, which would draw down federal matching funds to provide hospitals with a total of $211 million in 2010. Baldacci said, "We are fulfilling the promise of the Recovery Act by protecting jobs and protecting access to health care for our most vulnerable neighbors" (AP/Portland Press Herald, 3/17).

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