Maine governor to challenge Medicaid expansion referendum

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Maine’s Republican governor says he plans to file a legal challenge against an upcoming referendum that could expand Medicaid.

Mainers are set to vote on a Nov. 7 ballot question to require the state to apply for Medicaid expansion for adults under age 65 with incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty line. Gov. Paul LePage opposes the move and has rejected Medicaid expansion several times.

LePage appeared on WGAN-AM on Thursday morning to repeat his opposition to the expansion. He says he’s going to challenge the language of the referendum because it describes Medicaid as “insurance.”

He says the word “insurance” suggests the users are purchasers who have options, while in the case of Medicaid it’s “free health care paid for by the taxpayers.”