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Mills warns federal cuts will harm access and proposes $2.25 million to replace cuts to reproductive health services
Summary
Governor Mills highlighted Medicaid expansion and state health initiatives, warned federal funding cuts could cost Maine billions and put tens of thousands at risk of losing coverage, and proposed a one-time $2.25 million appropriation to replace primary care funding for Planned Parenthood and Maine Family Planning.
Governor Janet Mills used the State of the State to emphasize health-care access and to propose a targeted appropriation to replace cuts to reproductive and primary-care services.
Mills recounted expanding Medicaid and other state health programs and said nearly 230,000 people have gained access to care after expansion. She warned that recent federal legislation and the end of enhanced ACA subsidies will lead to significant losses in federal funds over the next decade and predicted large increases in uninsured residents unless the federal government acts.
As an immediate step, Mills proposed a one-time appropriation of $2.25 million in general funds "to replace the money that this president and Congress have cruelly cut from Planned Parenthood and Maine Family Planning's primary care services," she said. The governor framed the appropriation as necessary where "the federal government has fallen down."
Nut graf: The $2.25 million is a one-time proposal included in the supplemental budget; it replaces specific primary-care funding streams if federal funding is cut, but broader coverage losses and long-term funding gaps would require federal action or sustained state appropriations.
Details and context: Mills cited reductions in federal health spending and warned of an estimated multi-billion-dollar impact on Maine over ten years; she also noted state efforts like the Made for Maine health marketplace and postpartum coverage extensions.
What's next: The appropriation requires legislative approval; broader coverage concerns involve federal policy decisions and long-term budget planning at the state level.
Ending: Mills framed the proposal as a short-term mitigation for a federal funding shortfall and continued state support for reproductive and primary care services.
