Health care is a necessity for all Mainers, and there’s a reason it’s one of our top priorities as Democrats. An aging population, combined with a plethora of rural communities off the beaten path, means that Mainers face both a greater need for health care and more challenges when it comes to access. You would think that our senator would fight hard for Maine’s health, but her record tells a different story. 

Susan Collins repeatedly voted against the Affordable Care Act and pushed to cut Medicare. The ACA saved $87 million for Maine seniors and closed significant coverage gaps, per the Maine Beacon. She hasn’t stopped there: she also voted against lowering prices for crucial drugs like insulin, blocked a 2003 bill that would have allowed the federal government to negotiate prescription drug prices, and voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which undid that ban. The over $400,000 that pharmaceutical PACs have given to her campaigns shows where her loyalties lie.

Susan Collins voted to bring Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” to the Senate floor. The OBBB contained massive cuts to Medicaid and has caused premiums to skyrocket to unaffordable levels, while cutting taxes for pharmaceutical companies. The cuts have put a massive strain on Maine’s healthcare system, leading to massive hospital closures, stranding many in health care deserts. 

While Mainers impacted by these issues are not happy, people like Steven Mitchaud, the former Maine Hospital Association President, are. He appeared in one of her recent ads and spent much of his time lobbying against lowering health care costs. Health insurance companies and hospitals have spent a lot of money to re-elect Susan Collins, which means her choices have primarily helped the companies in charge. 

Susan Collins hasn’t been interested in protecting Mainers’ health care because it simply isn’t profitable for her. She’d rather cozy up to the companies that fund her campaign, leaving patients and health care workers out in the cold.