Maine Cuts Medicaid Coverage for Over 1,000 Immigrants Oct. 1
More than 1,000 immigrants in Maine lost MaineCare coverage starting October 1 under eligibility changes from the 2025 federal budget law (H.R. 1), which excludes refugees, asylum seekers, trafficking and abuse victims, and noncitizen veterans from Medicaid. Children under 21, pregnant people, and green card holders are unaffected. Maine DHHS has notified affected households since June, and state officials say many losing coverage are high-needs individuals with disproportionate use of home and community-based services and high rates of serious mental illness. Unlike California, New York, and Pennsylvania, Maine has no state-funded backstop program to cover the gap, though a $250 million legislative proposal to offset federal cuts failed to pass last session.
State Medicaid agencies and MCOs must prepare for coverage loss among high-utilization LTSS and behavioral health populations without a state-funded replacement program in place.
LTSS · Behavioral Health · Finance
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