Consumers for Affordable Health Care



			Alliance for a Healthy Maine Maine Health Access Campaign FACT SHEET Every Blue Ribbon Commission that has studied Maine's health care access and cost crisis over the past 12 years has agreed that providing health care coverage to all Maine citizens is the first step to reducing overall costs. Most recently, the Year 2000 Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care said in its final report to Governor King "All Maine citizens should have ready access to basic health care regardless of income, location, or pre-existing or chronic conditions." [Source: Year 2000 Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care, pg. 28] An overwhelming seventy-eight percent (78%) of registered Maine voters support increasing Maine's tobacco tax by 50 cents in order to expand access to health care coverage for uninsured and underinsured Maine citizens. [Source: University of New Hampshire Survey Center, poll conducted August 2000] Consumers for Affordable Health Care, the American Cancer Society, and the Maine Medical Association are leading a new effort for a major expansion in health insurance coverage and a reduction of youth and adult smoking. The Alliance for a Healthy Maine has created a large (and growing) coalition of 28 statewide organizations and associations (see membership list below) committed to raising the tobacco tax by at least 50 cents in Maine and using the estimated $47.5 million in revenues to expand access to health care coverage for some of Maine's most vulnerable uninsured citizens. Raising the price of tobacco is the single most effective way to reduce tobacco use - especially among our youth. A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM THAT STILL HAS MAJOR GAPS: Over 165,000 Maine residents are still uninsured, especially low and middle income workers. They are not eligible for the important new programs Maine has implemented since 1998 to cover children and some low income adults. [Source: Year 2000 Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care] Maine has the highest three-year average uninsured rate of all New England states. At 15.7 percent, Maine has the highest rate of non-elderly uninsured persons (ages 18-64) in New England. [Sources: US Census Bureau/Year 2000 Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care] Maine is spending nearly 14 percent of its Gross Domestic Product on health care compared to 12.3 percent spent by the U.S. as a nation. [Source: Year 2000 Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care] 70% of those without insurance and in poor health say that they do not get needed care such as checkups and treatment for specific problems. Almost half of those without insurance and in fair health do not get needed care. [Source: Journal of the American Medical Assoc. 10-25-2000] 84% of uninsured families have at least one person working. 74% of uninsured families have at least one full-time worker. All uninsured families under 200% of federal eligibility limits could benefit from fully subsidized health care coverage. [Source: National Survey of American Families] 60% of uninsured Mainers have gone without medically necessary care in the past year because of costs. [Source: Portland Press Herald, 5-31-2000] TOBACCO TAX INCREASES = GOOD HEALTH POLICY Higher cigarette prices result in lower overall cigarette consumption. By implementing a 50-cent per pack hike in tobacco excise taxes, Maine can reduce adult smoking by 2.5 %, teen smoking by 6.4 % and smoking by pregnant women by 6.4%. [Source: Schneider Institute for Health Policy, Boston, MA, 11/10/00] Higher prices deter smoking initiation among youth and increase smoking cessation among adults. Higher prices reduce average tobacco consumption among continuing smokers -- they smoke less. A 50-cent hike in tobacco taxes can reduce smoking-related deaths in Maine by an estimated 1,848 lives. [Source: Schneider Institute for Health Policy, Boston, MA, 11/10/00] The Alliance for a Healthy Maine wants to build on the successes of the Medicaid and Cub Care programs that have successfully provided health coverage to citizens who have been unable to afford private insurance coverage. The Alliance is supporting a proposal by House Speaker Mike Saxl (D, Portland) to expand Medicaid coverage for adults and families with incomes up to 200% of federal eligibility limits - that's $16,704 for a single adult, $22,500 for a couple without children, and $28,308 for a family of three on an annual basis. The proposal will also provide access to health care coverage for self-employed and sole-proprietors with incomes from 200% - 300% of federal limits. It would also provide prescription drug coverage to seniors with incomes below 200% of these limits. A solution will cost money - but everyone agrees the time to do it is now! The Alliance for a Healthy Maine wants to see the estimated $47.5 million in revenues that will be raised by at least a 50-cent per pack hike to be applied to these health care access proposals. THE NEXT STEP TOWARD UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE With your support, we would like to file legislation in December 2000 that will take Maine one step closer to universal health care coverage. We will be building on past successes, including the broad-based 1997 campaign, which raised tobacco taxes to fund health care programs for children. We are now hoping to again assemble a large and diverse coalition of individuals and organizations including consumer groups, physicians, hospitals, nurses, other health care providers, anti-smoking advocates, the insurance industry, organized labor and the business community to help us build a winning campaign. PLEASE JOIN US! Call us at 1-800-838-0388 or 207-622-7083 American Heart Association of Maine American Lung Association of Maine Coastal Community Action Program Legal Services for the Elderly Maine Academy of Family Physicians Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods Maine Center for Economic Policy Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Maine Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians Maine Chapter, National Multiple Sclerosis Society Maine Coalition on Smoking OR Health Maine Council of Churches Maine Council of Senior Citizens Maine Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center Maine Hospital Association Maine Nurse Practitioners Association Maine Osteopathic Association Maine People's Alliance Maine Psychological Association Maine Public Health Association Maine SIDS Foundation Maine State Nurses Association Maine Women's Lobby Medical Care Development, Inc. National Association of Social Workers/Maine Chapter Nurses in Advanced Practice Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland Sponsored by: Consumers for Affordable Healthcare, American Cancer Society and Maine Medical Association. Back to Coalition News