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LaMarche Spotlight on a Bad Plan Saves the Day!
Waterville, Maine — Pat LaMarche and the state's most vulnerable citizens won round one of a David and Goliath type battle today.
LaMarche was contacted by numerous health care providers who knew this would be a disaster and knew they could count on her to help. Pat LaMarche was able to expose the plan, call for action, and for now it has worked! |
"Congratulations to the dedicated behavioral healthcare professionals who exhausted every avenue to protect their clients and their patients," said LaMarche upon hearing about the postponement. "They did not sleep until they found a person who would bring their cause to the foreground. I am grateful that they believed that I was that person, and I salute their dedication to the health care profession. I am humbled to have played a key role in the protection of Maine citizens and their healthcare providers."
On June 7th, gubernatorial candidate Pat LaMarche called the current administration's plan to privatize mental health services for the poor "discriminatory and dangerous."
"The administration's mental health plan is going to hurt families, communities, children, and the elderly: the most vulnerable among us," said LaMarche.
She went further by uncovering the intentions of the administration to privatize mental health care in Maine.
The administration planned to issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) on July 1 to recruit a managed care organization to take over delivery of mental health services to Medicare and Medicaid recipients in Maine. Only out-of-state companies could submit proposals because under the terms of the RFP, no current provider would be allowed to bid on the contract.
"This privatization will divert approximately $31.2 million out of behavioral health services for the poor, including $20.8 million in federal matching funds, because the funds for these services are Medicare/Medicaid "seed money dollars." stated LaMarche at a press conference held in Bangor.
LaMarche called Governor Baldacci on his plan, shining light on a short-sighted plan that would otherwise have gone unnoticed:
"Over the last few weeks I have met with many behavioral health care providers who are certain of two things. One, the intellectual and administrative skills exist within their community to streamline expenses while still meeting the needs of their patients. And secondly, the only way an out-of-state company is going to reduce the budget by $31.2 million will be to short-change providers and eliminate services. These are not Maine solutions. For Mainers this is a lose-lose proposition. For the out-of-state managed care company it's a big win. One has to wonder why the legislature and administration would even consider this a solution at all," said LaMarche.
LaMarche was contacted by numerous health care providers who knew this would be a disaster and knew they could count on her to help. Pat LaMarche was able to expose the plan, call for action, and for now it has worked!
Carol Carruthers, Executive Director, NAMI Maine, informed NAMI members gathered at their annual convention tonight held at Colby College that the Governor had agreed to at least postpone the privatization and managed care plans for the state's Medicaid and Medicare mental health recipients.
"It was foolhardy and shortsighted when this administration privatized the profitable aspects of state government because it increased the tax burden on Mainers, but privatizing health care services needed by the poor is contemptible. This fits this administration's disappointing track record of privatization, shipping jobs and money out-of-state and a callous disregard for our most vulnerable citizens," said LaMarche.
But not today…
Thanks, to Pat LaMarche, these folks can sleep knowing where the care they count on and need is still going to be provided for them — by those dedicated behavioral healthcare providers of Maine whom they know they can trust!
That is, at least until November!
