Maine Health Care Leaders Celebrate Governor Mills as 'Health Care Hero'

Augusta, MAINE - Today, health care leaders from across Maine celebrated Governor Janet Mills as a "Health Care Hero" in recognition of her successful work as Governor to expand access to high-quality, affordable health coverage throughout her time as Governor.

Governor Mills has long believed that health care is a human right, and as a result of her Administration's leadership, Maine's uninsured rate declined faster than that of any other state from 2019 to 2021 and has remained near historic lows.

The Governor and Joanne Rawlings-Sekunda, former Director of the Consumer Health Care Division at the Maine Bureau of Insurance, were honored with the award at the Health Care for Maine (HC4ME) Conference hosted by Consumers for Affordable Health Care. The annual conference brings together health care professionals, state leaders, non-profits, and advocates dedicated to improving access to health care in Maine.

"I'm honored to be recognized by health care leaders and advocates from across Maine. When I entered office, it was clear there was much to do to make health care affordable and accessible for Maine people. While we've expanded health care coverage to over 230,000 people, increased access to free preventative care visits, maintained childhood vaccine schedules, and increased funding for family planning services, in the face of federal cuts and attacks on health care, there is more work to be done," said Governor Mills. "To the health care heroes across Maine who are in the trenches carrying out this often unglamorous and unrewarded work, your work is more important than ever. Thank you for all you do to save lives."

"Governor Mills has been an extraordinary leader and champion in preserving and expanding access to health care in Maine. Her efforts to expand access to public and private health coverage in Maine have paid off - with hundreds of thousands of Mainers, many who may otherwise be uninsured, accessing the coverage they need. She prioritized resources during the pandemic, ensuring all Mainers had access to vaccines and treatment, and has taken important steps to address Maine's opioid crisis that has reduced opioid related deaths," said Ann Woloson, Executive Director of Consumers for Affordable Health Care. "She addressed the needs of older Mainers by expanding the Medicare Savings Program and restored funding for Maine's elderly and disabled low-cost drug program. She has worked to preserve reproductive care, restored funding for critical services including public health nursing, and invested in Maine's health care work force. The list goes on - she truly is a health care hero to Mainers."

On her first full day in office, Governor Mills expanded health coverage to more than 100,000 people by implementing the Medicaid expansion overwhelmingly approved by Maine voters but blocked by former Governor Paul LePage. She proposed and signed into law the unanimously-passed Made for Maine Health Coverage Act, which covered certain medical visits at no cost to consumers, established Maine's own State-based Health Insurance Marketplace, and codified the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with pre-existing conditions under state law, among many other accomplishments.