Maine Must Move Forward With Voter-Approved Medicaid Expansion, State’s Highest Court Rules
Republican Gov. Paul LePage has been blocking the expansion for months, adamant that state lawmakers must come up with a way to fund the program. Advocacy groups sued the governor over the delay.
The Wall Street Journal:
Maine’s Highest Court Orders Rollout Of Medicaid Expansion
Maine’s highest court on Thursday blocked the latest attempt by Gov. Paul LePage to restrain Medicaid expansion, although the legal battle appeared set to continue. Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court said two lower-court rulings ordering the state to begin executing the voter-approved Medicaid expansion stand, and that there are still issues for the lower court to resolve. Backed by nearly 60% of Maine voters last November, the Medicaid expansion would cover more low-income adults, while making the state the 32nd to adopt a key plank of the Affordable Care Act. (Kamp, 8/23)
The Hill:
Maine Supreme Court Rejects GOP Governor's Attempt To Slow Medicaid Expansion
The ruling Thursday by the state Supreme Court dealt a blow to LePage, who has been blocking Medicaid expansion ever since voters approved it in November. However, the court did not rule on the merits of the case; it dismissed LePage’s appeal of a lower court decision, sending the case back to Superior Court. The initial lawsuit was filed after LePage failed to meet an April deadline to submit a two-page State Plan Amendment to the federal government that establishes a process for ensuring eligibility for people under 65 years of age who qualify for medical assistance. (Weixel, 8/23)
Modern Healthcare:
Maine Supreme Court Orders Medicaid Expansion To Go Forward
Under the voter-passed initiative, Maine was supposed to start enrolling expansion beneficiaries by July 2. The initiative gave LePage until April 3 to submit a state plan amendment to the CMS. LePage balked at the measure and claimed he couldn't act on it until the state Legislature funded Medicaid expansion. But that argument didn't hold up in court. Kennebec County Superior Judge Michaela Murphy in June ordered the state Department of Health and Human Services to submit a state plan amendment to the CMS by June 11 to implement the expansion. Now, Murphy will have to handle the rest of the case "in as timely a manner as possible," according to the high court ruling, and future decisions in the case could come up for high court review. (8/23)
