REPORT: COVID-19 Crisis Has Already Caused A 16% Increase In Uninsured Mainers, And Republicans Are Still Pushing Lawsuit That Could Double Maine’s Uninsured Rate

Senator Collins’ vote paved the way for lawsuit that could force nearly 100,000 Mainers to lose health care coverage amid public health and economic crisis

A new report from the nonpartisan consumer advocacy group Families USA found that there has been a 16% increase in the number of uninsured Mainers amid the coronavirus pandemic and the accompanying economic downturn. According to the analysis, the ongoing crisis has led to the largest health insurance losses in American history, including 14,000 newly uninsured Maine people.

Meanwhile, Washington Republicans are continuing their crusade to strike down the Affordable Care Act with a lawsuit made possible by Senator Susan Collins' vote for the 2017 GOP corporate tax giveaway. If the lawsuit is successful in eliminating the ACA, nearly 100,000 Mainers could lose their coverage, which would almost double the uninsured rate in Maine. But even in the face of overwhelming evidence that her vote jeopardized health care for Maine families, Collins has been adamant that she doesn’t regret her vote for the tax bill “at all.”

“There’s no question that the Republican lawsuit to strike down the ACA would be devastating for Mainers,” said Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Lisa Roberts. “Susan Collins’ vote made this lawsuit possible, and while her Washington Republican colleagues use it to try to strip health care coverage from tens of thousands of Mainers, she’s maintained that she doesn’t regret that vote in the least.”

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