A number of Maine health care professionals held a press conference praising Governor Mills’ record of expanding and protecting health care access for tens of thousands of Maine people. They also blasted Paul LePage’s eight year record of waging a war on Mainers’ health care, and warned of the threat four more years of LePage would pose.
Patsy Leavitt, DNP, FNP: “In this election year, I ask myself daily ‘What would happen if the MaineCare expansion was repealed?’ You’ve heard the statistics, thousands of Mainers would join the ranks of our most vulnerable residents, the uninsured…they’d parse out their pills, and insulin, and inhalers, treat themselves the best they know how, skip their cancer screenings and checkups. They’d miss days of work because of their chronic problems. Then maybe, they’d come into our ER’s when their disease had rendered them too sick to work or function. Or, perhaps, they’d just die.”
Dr. Julia McDonald, DO, MPH: “Gov Mills is truly a champion for the people in this state, consistently working to protect and expand abortion access in Maine. If you care about families and communities, she is the best option for the future of Maine…Do not let his evasion of the issue fool you. If re-elected, Paul LePage will restrict access to abortion care and reproductive health services in this state.”
Rep. Sam Zager, (D-Portland): “Paul LePage systematically eviscerated and diminished our public health infrastructure. Janet Mills wisely set to work reconstituting it. And then with this infrastructure in place, she and her administration, even when it got tough, even when it got scary for all of us, demonstrated tremendous leadership in public health.”
Drew Gattine, Chair of the Maine Democratic Party: “As a result of Governor Mills, Mainers finally have access to the care that they need and deserve. Yet with LePage on the ballot this November, it’s all at risk. After his obstruction of Medicaid expansion, we can’t trust him to ensure all Mainers have health care access. After his destruction of our public health infrastructure, we can’t trust him to protect us in a health crisis. And after his loud opposition to abortion rights, we can’t trust him to protect reproductive freedom as his Republican allies are clamoring to take it away. It’s clear that for the sake of the health and safety of Mainers, we must re-elect Janet Mills.”