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Officials warn MaineCare cuts could strain special-education services in Auburn
Summary
District officials warned that proposed MaineCare reimbursement cuts threaten in-home and school-based services, could force private special-purpose programs to close, and would shift costs to the school budget if reimbursements fall.
Laura Shaw briefed the Auburn School Committee on Sept. 3 about the potential local effects of cuts to MaineCare, Maine's Medicaid program, saying reductions could delay or eliminate services that help students access school and community supports.
"MaineCare is the state of Maine's Medicaid program," Shaw said, and she explained that many in-home behavioral supports, counseling, speech, occupational and physical therapies that families rely on are reimbursed by MaineCare. "Most of those services are paid reimbursed, 65 at least 65% by MaineCare," she said, noting that the district has billed between roughly $100,000 and $200,000 in MaineCare-related revenue in recent reporting.
Shaw said special-purpose private schools that serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities rely heavily on MaineCare funding. She cited closures of residential programs by one provider and said that if those schools closed for financial reasons the district would not have the capacity to replicate highly specialized services.
Committee members pressed Shaw about the new pre-K mandate and whether current DOE reimbursement structures would protect that program; Shaw said the Department of Education is currently reimbursing 100% of certain pre-K services but warned that providers have been billing MaineCare to offset other costs and that someone would have to absorb cuts if reimbursement structures change.
Several committee members urged community advocacy to prevent cuts, naming federal and state lawmakers by title. Committee member Shay (speaker 5) described the cuts as disproportionately damaging to low-income students and those with disabilities and encouraged residents to contact Senators Collins and King and Representative Golden.
What’s next: the district and local advocates intend to monitor legislative activity closely, support provider lobbying efforts, and report back to the committee as the situation develops.
