Governor LePage Urges Mainers to Ask Congress to Fix the Government Takeover of Health Care
July 22, 2014
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, (207) 287-2531
AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage issued a statement today about a ruling that would prevent the federal government from providing subsidies for health care insurance in dozens of states that use the federal insurance exchange, including Maine.
The Affordable Care Act used federal subsidies, paid for with taxpayer money, to pay for part of the cost of individual’s healthcare.
“First the federal government forced people to buy health insurance,” said Governor LePage. “Now, if this ruling holds up, these people would lose their federal subsidies to pay for that health insurance. Their premiums could skyrocket for plans that in some cases might be more expensive than their previous plans, which were cancelled as a result of the law, making their health insurance unaffordable.”
“Maine state government cannot afford to pick up the cost of the subsidies. We simply do not have the money to subsidize health insurance premiums. This mess is just the latest example of what a disaster the Affordable Care Act is. I urge Mainers to call on those in Congress who voted for this scheme to get to work and fix this law immediately.”
Representatives Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree voted for the Affordable Care Act. Senator Susan Collins and former senator Olympia Snowe did not.