Under Gov. Janet Mills, Maine Sees Largest Decline in Uninsured Rate Nationwide

Gov. Mills’ Gets Results to Make Health Care More Affordable and Accessible 

Gov. Janet Mills’ extensive efforts to get more Maine people health care are paying off. Gov. Mills just announced that Maine’s uninsured rate has seen the largest decline in the nation in recent years under her leadership. A new U.S. Census Bureau report showed Maine’s rate of individuals without health insurance dropped from 8.0 percent in 2019 to 5.7 percent in 2021.

Gov. Mills has worked to improve access to more affordable health coverage since her first day in office.

Her first act in office was expanding Medicaid after it was blocked by Paul LePage. Now, 99,312 residents are covered through the expansion, and it has helped more than 136,000 people in the three years since its launch — or approximately one in 10 Maine residents.

Weeks after expanding Medicaid, Gov. Mills also signed bipartisan legislation to codify insurance protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Her administration also established a state-based health insurance marketplace. In its first open enrollment period this year, the marketplace enrolled 66,095 individuals, a 10 percent increase over 2021, which reversed declines in Marketplace plan selections since 2017.

DGA Senior Communications Director Christina Amestoy said, “Gov. Mills has worked tirelessly to get more Maine people health care since her first day in office — and her work has paid off. Tens of thousands more Mainers have access to quality, affordable health insurance thanks to Gov. Mills’ leadership. Her success is clear, but Gov. Mills knows her work isn’t finished; she won’t stop fighting to increase access to health care for Maine families.”