The holiday season is a time to gather with friends, family, neighbors and loved ones in a spirit of celebration and joy. It’s a season of shortened days and evenings with many lights. Whether you spend this season renewing your faith, serving your community, or reflecting on a year that is well-spent, I wish you health, hope and happiness this year and in the year to come.

Good morning, I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

While I look forward to spending time with my kids and my grandchildren, I am also spending this holiday season reflecting on the progress we have made this year and preparing for the work ahead.

This legislative session I worked on a number of bills and signed quite a number into law. These new laws — which were sponsored and supported by Democrats, Republicans, Independents and Green Party members alike — I think will move Maine in a positive direction. Everything from expanding access to health care for thousands of Maine people, combating the opioid epidemic, to embracing renewable energy, to investing in public education, adding to the Rainy Day Fund, adding to child protection worker staffs so we can save Maine children and prevent more tragedies as we saw a few years ago and much more, I am so proud of the progress we have made on behalf of the people of Maine.

Now it is time to build on that progress. Earlier this month, Commissioner Heather Johnson of the Department of Economic and Community Development and I released our State’s ten year strategy — our economic development plan — that I believe will foster innovation and collaboration and jump-start economic growth in our state to achieve a diverse, forward-looking economy that will offer everyone the opportunity to succeed.

In the new year, I look forward to implementing this plan in partnership with legislators, business people, community leaders, and individuals across the state.  In particular, we really want to add to the work rolls — another 75,000 people — so that the workforce needs of all of our employers can be met in the coming years.

Now, while we celebrate life’s blessings and look forward to the year ahead, we shouldn’t forget that the holiday season can also be difficult for some including those who have recently lost a loved one, those who are cold and hungry, or those who are far from family or friends this year. 

Maine people always lift each other up, we extend our hands and open our hearts to people in need and I ask that you do this of course this holiday season, especially for our children, people in need, people living alone, and seniors, and consider volunteering with agencies or contributing to the many organizations who are out there helping our neighbors every day. Afterall, as one ancient author once said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” 

I believe that’s true.

So here I am wishing you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season and a blessed new year. 

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening. 

Health care you know saves lives, that’s obvious.

It shouldn’t be a luxury to have health care, or a privilege reserved for, you know, well to do people, but more than 106,000 Maine people still don’t have health insurance.

A new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that in Maine, about 180 people between the ages of 55 and 64 who died in the years from 2014 to 2017 would have lived if they had had better access to health care.

That is simply unacceptable.

Good morning, I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

Everyone gets sick at some point in their lives. Everyone needs to go to a doctor. As Governor, my top priority is to ensure that every Maine person can see a doctor, get preventive care and afford critical prescription medications, be healthy, work and care for their families.

While Washington politicians have attacked the critical health care services that we rely on, Maine has expanded Medicaid, known as MaineCare, and more than 42,000 people have signed up for health insurance under the MaineCare expansion so far this year.

One of those people is Kathy Stewart, a Waterville area hairdresser. She has emphysema and she has struggled to afford oxygen until now, when she finally got MaineCare coverage this year.

I don’t think any person should live with the constant fear of becoming ill or maybe even being unable to breathe because they can’t afford to go to a doctor, can’t afford to fill a prescription, or can’t afford to get life-saving care. Well like Kathy, now they don’t have to.

In this legislative session, in addition Medicaid expansion, I also signed LD 1, "An Act To Protect Health Care Coverage for Maine Families."

This legislation codified critical Affordable Care Act protections, including guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions, a ban on lifetime and annual caps on coverage and allowing young adults up to age 26 to remain on their parents’ insurance, as well as coverage for essential health services such as ambulance services, prescription drugs, and pediatric care.

Our Administration is sponsoring a statewide campaign right now called CoverME to help Maine people including self-employed people and small businesses understand all of their health insurance options and to sign up for the coverage they need that’s best for them.

This campaign is funded by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant, not with state dollars.

Maine is pursuing a state-based marketplace also to put the state – not the federal government – in the driver’s seat when it comes to health care, but you should know that private health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is available now to all Maine people.

The enrollment period for Affordable Care Act plans is open now and goes until December 15th – about a week away. Almost 75 percent of Maine enrollees can find a plan for $75 a month or less. You can sign up for MaineCare insurance if you’re eligible at any time of the year of course.

If you need health insurance, or need to find a less expensive plan, please visit www.CoverME.gov. That’s www dot cover me dot gov to learn about coverage options for you and to get enrolled in an affordable and an effective health care plan.

I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

While my home remains in Farmington, Maine, as Governor it is my honor and privilege to reside at the Blaine House – as governors before me have done since 1919.

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

The Blaine House is a living tribute to our state. It is owned by the people of Maine and it is faithfully maintained and has been modernized by stewards for generations.

For more than 100 years the Blaine House has welcomed world leaders in search of guidance, including President John F. Kennedy, Ulysses S. Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, William Tecumseh Sherman, Margaret Chase Smith, Andrew Wyeth, Amelia Earhart, and even heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey.

Well this week we honored that legacy and took another step towards leadership by unveiling 61 new solar panels on the Blaine House garage and the grounds- leading the way towards a clean energy future for Maine.

The solar panels, installed by Maine company Revision Energy, will supply 26,000 kilowatt hours per year of clean, renewable electricity – enough to cover at least 25 percent of the Blaine House’s electrical needs.

These panels are expected to eliminate large amounts of carbon pollution each year, about the equivalent of not burning 43 barrels of oil.

43 barrels of oil is a lot.

When I talk about Maine people sending $5 billion out-of-state every year to pay for fossil fuel, that is exactly what I am talking about.

Whether it is heating the Blaine House or heating your house, filling up a state-owned car or your car, the big, out-of-state fossil fuel companies have too tight a grip on Maine people. They’re always forcing us to dig deeper, to buy oil or gas that harms our pocketbooks, our health, our air and our environment.

Enough is enough.

So, while these panels will have a substantial impact on the efficiency of the Blaine House, we view them as only a start for state government.

Maine is ready to lead.

That’s why I also signed an Executive Order this week directing Maine State Government to lead by example in pursuing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability.

It only makes sense that, as one of the largest consumers in Maine, our state government should be a role model in reducing energy use, embracing sources of renewables, curbing carbon pollution and recycling and reducing solid waste – all of which will lower operating costs at the same time.

This Executive Order directs state agencies to meet or exceed the state’s renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets. The goals for our state as a whole should also be goals for state government, and we will do our part to meet them.

First and foremost, we will prioritize energy efficiency whenever we upgrade state buildings.

We will pursue renewable energy generation and energy storage on state property whenever possible, and if not possible, we will purchase our energy from low-carbon sources.

We will add more electric vehicles when replacing old vehicles in the state fleet and we’ll install more electric vehicle charging stations at public facilities so that employees can charge their cars while they work.

We will conserve energy and water and minimize waste and packaging.

We will lead by example on the path to a cleaner, greener future and create green-collar jobs at the same time.

Now, not every person in Maine needs to install 61 solar panels to make a difference. I ask you to think about small, affordable changes you can make - from changing lightbulbs, tightening up doors and windows, insulating your basement or attic - keeping more money in your pocket and protecting our environment at the same time.

As this residence greeted leaders of the past, now the Blaine House greets a new generation of leaders in a manner that strengthens our economy, and protects the irreplaceable and beautiful state and natural resources which we share and care for.

I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening. 

When I was growing up, there were paper mills all across rural Maine. They provided good-paying jobs, and a skilled workforce, and gave families the foundation they could rely on for a bright future.

When a changing economy shuttered so many mills, thousands of hardworking Maine people were left without a way to provide for their families. 

Faced with uncertainty and economic instability, Maine people could have focused on their own families first and just ignored the needs of their neighbors. 

But we know, that is not the Maine way.

Good morning, I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

In 2003, in the wake of several mill closures, Solidarity Harvest was founded. Every year since then, unions, farmers, faith communities, volunteer organizations, and businesses have gotten together every year to provide locally-grown food to laid-off workers and families who have hit hard times.

Last year more than 400 people — including some past recipients of meals — and 50 organizations volunteered their time and resources to Solidary Harvest to distribute 1,300 meals to families in Maine.

This week, I was proud to join volunteers for “Sort Week” to help Solidarity Harvest assemble food baskets to be delivered to recipients before Thanksgiving Day.

Maine farms and the farmers who run them are a cornerstone of our state’s economy, producing a variety of high-quality crops that contribute substantially to our way of life.

There is no reason for anyone to go hungry in Maine when we have healthy food grown by our neighbors right at our fingertips.

The baskets distributed by Solidarity Harvest combine fresh vegetables along with apples, homemade apple cider and bread and a turkey with all the fixings — all provided by Maine community members, farms, and businesses.

Solidarity Harvest is just one of the many charitable organizations helping Maine people in need during this holiday season.

From Solidarity Harvest to Stuff the Bus, which is led by Chuck Igo and provides food to Preble Street Kitchen, I urge all of you to see how you and your family might lend a helping hand this holiday season.

Looking out for one another is at the heart of our state, just as bringing people together to celebrate life’s blessings has been at the heart of the Thanksgiving holiday since its creation. 

On October 3, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declared a National day of Thanksgiving.  

“In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity…peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere…” he said. “No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are ...gracious gifts… It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands,” he said, “to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving.”

As we gather to give thanks this Thanksgiving, let us remember the gracious gifts we have received and let us extend our hands to welcome others to our tables, to our homes, and to our hearts.

That is the Maine way.

I am wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving. 

I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.  
 

This week I had a great discussion up at Blair Hill Inn and Restaurant in Greenville with business owners, residents, development leaders and local lawmakers. We focused on ideas and strategies for economic growth in rural Maine, particularly Western Maine.

Good morning, I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

You know diversifying our economy, empowering innovators and attracting young, talented people to live and work in Maine is crucial to the future of our state.

That’s why earlier this year, I directed the Department of Economic and Community Development to create the very first long-term statewide economic development plan in decades.

That plan, which will be finalized in the coming weeks, is being written with input from government agencies, business leaders, educational institutions, private organizations and individuals like yourselves. It will focus on strategies to enhance economic growth, particularly in rural Maine, and address Maine’s workforce challenges.

As we finalize that plan, I think it’s important for me to hear the voices of business leaders and residents all over Maine, to understand their challenges and to learn how state government can help.

So during our discussion up in Greenville, I heard about the issues that town faces, from funding local schools without increasing property taxes to repairing aging roads and bridges to health care and energy costs. I listened and I shared what my Administration has done to date to address those challenges.

In the biennial budget for instance, we invested $115 million in K-12 education, we began raising the minimum teacher salary to $40,000, and we allocated $18 million to repair aging school infrastructure.

We also invested $75 million in property tax relief for Maine seniors, families, and small businesses. That’s money going back to you.

We fully funded the Medicaid expansion program and we restored Maine’s Low-Cost Drugs for the Elderly and Disabled Program. We enacted legislation to help lower the cost of prescription drugs, and we told the federal government that Maine will pursue its own state-based exchange to put us in the driver’s seat when it comes to health care.

And don’t forget to check www.CoverME.gov this week to find out what health insurance is available to you at the lowest cost and best coverage.

We also enacted — with the voters’ approval — a $105 million transportation bond to repair roads, highways and bridges, and to protect working waterfronts, and to restore commercial fishing wharfs.

Of course we still have a lot to do.

Every rural community has its strengths. 

For example, besides Greenville, I also visited Monson and Monson Arts which is located in downtown Monson and which offers four-week residencies to artists and writers from all over the place as well as intensive workshops and programs for local school kids and community members.

I met resident artists and writers and learned about the program’s work to spark educational growth, to attract people to rural Maine, and reinvigorate the economy of that town. I also visited Jemma Gascoine Pottery and Monson General Store on Main Street in Monson and talked about their experiences and their excitement about the future.

Undoubtedly the strategy to growing our rural economy will be multi-faceted, but one thing is clear. Supporting these rural communities as they build on their own strengths — as Monson and Greenville are doing — is critical.

Backing local businesses and organizations to attract talented people to live and work in rural Maine will expand our workforce, which is a key aspect of growing our economy statewide.

There is a spot for everyone in Maine’s economy, and we need everyone to participate.

I want innovators and entrepreneurs, families, and business owners to know that Maine has not only an unmatched quality of life, but also unmatched opportunity in new industries across our state.

I look forward to visiting more communities and hearing your thoughts on how we can foster economic growth in Maine in the coming months.

I am Governor Janet Mills.

Thank you for listening.

Monday, November 11th marks an important day in Maine and around the nation – it’s Veterans Day.

Good morning, I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

On this Veterans Day, as we do every day, we should recognize the men and women who faithfully served our state and nation in the Armed Forces. Let’s join together to thank them and their families for their sacrifice, their bravery, and their devotion to our country.

Today, our state can proudly say that we are home to more than 114,000 veterans – more than 11 percent of our adult population and one of the highest number of veterans per capita of any state in the nation.

But when you consider Maine’s long and proud history of military service, that comes as no surprise.

During the Civil War, more than 2.8 million people served and more than 620,000 people gave, as Lincoln said, “the last full measure of devotion.” Many of those men came from Maine. Our state contributed a higher proportion of our citizens to the Union army than any other state in the nation.

One of my predecessors, General Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, led the 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment during the Civil War and he is credited with saving the Union at Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg.

From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to World War I and World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan – Maine people have stood up to defend our nation and its ideals and our state has shouldered its responsibility to protect our country.

President Lincoln also understood the toll these wars have on people and their families, and he also knew that bringing an end to the war would not bring an end to our support for those who served.

“Let us strive on to finish the work we are in,” he said, “to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Today, we care for those who have borne the battle and honor what they fought for — so many rights which all are too fragile and too often taken for granted.

The right to disagree...the right to express an opinion, whether anyone listens or not.
The right to pray. Or not to pray.
The right to personal privacy. And in the fundamental decisions of life.
The right to ask for governmental assistance, and the right to be free of governmental intrusion.

Maine veterans teach all of us to cherish our rights, to remember those who gave their lives for these freedoms.

They teach us to remember that our sons and daughters still defend those rights on battlefields and potential battlefields a world away and in postings across the globe.

They teach us by their example the self-sufficiency they learned in combat preparation, and the strong sense of responsibility that comes from hard work and hard times.

They teach us honor. They show us dignity. They teach us service.

That is why I have officially proclaimed this week – November 10th through November 16th – as Veterans Week. Please join with me in commemorating these heroic men and women who have served our state and our nation.

To all Maine veterans — thank you for your service from the bottom of my heart and thank you for your sacrifice and that of your families. To all those who have served and to those who continue to serve our country: our hearts are with you this Veterans Day, two thousand and nineteen.

I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

Tuesday’s Election Day. I hope everybody listening will remember to go to the polls Tuesday and vote for your local elected officials, for your school budget, and for the transportation bond that’s on the ballot. 

Good morning, I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

On another topic, look, health care, we all know, saves lives. 

It shouldn’t be a luxury, or a privilege reserved for well to do people, yet more than 106,000 Maine people still do not have health insurance. 

That’s just unacceptable. 

Everyone gets sick. Everyone needs to go to the doctor sometimes. As Governor, my top priority is to ensure that every Maine person can see a doctor, get preventive care and afford critical prescription medications, be healthy, to join in the workforce, stay in the workforce, and care for their families. 

Affordable health insurance is vital and it’s vital to the strength of our economy and to our success as a state.

While Washington politicians have attacked the critical health care services that we rely on, Maine at the same time, has expanded Medicaid, known as MaineCare, and have allowed more than 40,000 people to sign up for health insurance under the MaineCare expansion to date.

One of those 40,000 is Kathy Stewart, a Waterville hairdresser. She has emphysema and she struggled to afford oxygen for many years before she finally got MaineCare coverage this year.

No person should live with the constant fear of becoming ill or perhaps even being unable to breathe because they can’t afford to see a doctor, can’t afford to fill their prescriptions, or can’t afford to receive life-saving care. Well like Kathy, now they don’t have to.

This session, in addition to expanding Medicaid, I also signed LD 1, "An Act To Protect Health Care Coverage for Maine Families."

This legislation codified critical Affordable Care Act protections, like guaranteed coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and a ban on lifetime and annual caps on coverage and allowing young adults up to age 26 to remain on their parents’ insurance, and coverage for essential health services such as ambulance services, prescription drugs, and pediatric care.

Our Administration has begun a statewide campaign — CoverME— to help Maine people, self-employed individuals, and small businesses understand all of their health insurance options and to sign up for the coverage they need.

This campaign is funded by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant and not with state dollars.

Maine is pursuing a state-based marketplace to put the state – not the federal government – in the driver’s seat when it comes to health care, but you should know, that private health insurance under the Affordable Care Act is available now to all Maine people.

The open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act plans began November 1st and goes until December 15th of this year. You can sign up for MaineCare insurance if you’re eligible at any time of year.

If you need health insurance, I encourage you to visit www.CoverME.gov. That’s www dot cover me dot gov to learn about what’s available for coverage options and to get enrolled in an affordable and an effective health care plan.

I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

The abuse of vulnerable Maine people, especially older citizens, is an insidious problem.
 
Good morning, I am Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.
 
Every year, more than 33,000 Maine people over the age of sixty are reportedly abused or exploited. 
 
Every year, between $10.5 million and $64 million in savings and assets are stolen from older Maine people through financial exploitation.
 
Far too often, older citizens are alone and isolated, and they depend on only one or two people, sometimes family members, for their well-being and they are hesitant to ask for help. 
 
Elder abuse has no home in Maine.
 
Eradicating abuse requires state government, law enforcement, aging organizations and financial professionals to work together to protect our seniors.
 
When I was District Attorney and later as Attorney General, I prosecuted many crimes against older Maine people and, in 2014, I convened a Task Force to combat financial exploitation of seniors.
 
We made changes to judicial case management, to staffing, and to specialized training for law enforcement to ferret out abuse and investigate it in a streamlined fashion.
 
And earlier this year, I signed into law “An Act to Protect Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation,” which requires certain professionals who suspect financial exploitation to report those concerns to the Office of Securities and to Adult Protective Services. 
 
These were all important steps, but I think we can do more to help protect Maine people and especially Maine seniors.
 
You know we need to have a multi-agency, multi-sector response — get rid of the silos in communications — to keep older Maine people safe from abuse, neglect and all forms of exploitation. 
 
That’s why this week, I established by Executive Order the Elder Justice Coordinating Partnership.
 
That Partnership brings together many people and it’s the brainchild of Legal Services for the Elderly, the Elder Abuse Institute, the Long Term Care Ombudsman, the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Coalition to End Domestic Violence and it’s got support from the John T. Gorman Foundation. 
 
This is not going to cost public tax dollars, but this Partnership is important because it’s going to be formed of state agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Safety and the Maine State Police and statewide organizations and nonprofits.
 
They are going to develop the “Elder Justice Roadmap” in the coming months.
 
I look forward to the work of this Elder Justice Coordinating Partnership and, in the meantime, I look forward to strengthening our processes and actions and strengthening law enforcement — right now, the Department of the Attorney General is hiring a specialist in their investigations division to help train local police officers to ferret out financial exploitation.
 
So, we’re doing everything we can, we’re not going to stop, until we put an end to elder abuse and neglect and financial exploitation.
 
I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

Last week I led the largest delegation ever from the State of Maine to the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik.

Good morning, I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening. 

Well, why were we in Iceland you might ask?

Well Maine’s delegation traveled to Iceland this year as it has many times before to certainly renew and reinforce trade relationships with the North Atlantic, that are fortified now by expanding shipping routes, and to encourage exchanges of business, academic, and research information between Maine and North Atlantic countries.

You know Eimskip, the oldest shipping company in Iceland, helped us transform an old facility in the Portland, Maine waterfront into a bustling port, linking our state to worldwide markets.

As a result, trade between Iceland and Maine increased more than four thousand percent over one two-year period as east coast businesses found new opportunities along the Green Line shipping route.

Next year, Eimskip will directly connect Maine to Greenland, expanding opportunities for trade and collaboration between our people in unprecedented ways.

This sea route, forged by the explorers of our past and merchants of the present, is a reminder of how regions can work together in the pursuit of a prosperous future.

Maine is poised to become the hub, the eastern gateway to the Arctic, a region whose allure we have shared since Portland explorer Robert Peary set foot on the North Pole in 1909.

Maine is bathed by the same north Atlantic waters, the same rising, warming waves that lap the shores of Iceland, but it is more than ocean waters that draws us together. 

It is more than the cultural and economic currents of our shared fisheries, our academic institutions, or even our trade in broccoli, mint chocolate, potatoes, lobsters, lumber, blueberries and beer — a lot more than that.

I realized that when I learned that the Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the world’s ocean bodies. And then when I heard from our fishermen that lobsters are moving north and eastward into colder waters; and when I saw a devastating breed of insects, tics, migrating from warmer climates, and attacking and killing the moose in Maine. 

I knew then we have a lot to talk about with our north Atlantic neighbors. 

We need to talk about a world where we can accept science without polemic, where we work in a solid front, with a common goal, with sometimes uncommon means, to mitigate well-known dangerous effects of greenhouse gas emissions in this common purpose and goal — attacking climate change, on our natural resources, on our economy and on the health and survival of our citizenry.

Our Administration is committed to fighting climate change and mitigating its effects.

In just nine months, we have enacted significant standards for renewable energy in Maine. We are investing in clean energy and conservation, electric vehicles and energy efficiency and community resiliency. We support sequestration of carbon in our soil and forests through sustainable forestry practices.  

While in Iceland I signed an agreement with the Prime Minister of Finland for us to share forest research, product development, and sustainability practices in the face of a changing climate.

Both Maine and Finland depend so much on our forests, I know we can learn from Finland, and I think that Finland can learn from us.

We also now have a Climate Council in Maine to determine what we have to do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. 

This year, Maine also joined the bipartisan “U.S. Climate Alliance,” the coalition that is determined to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. 

A few weeks ago, I stood before the United Nations General Assembly and promised the world that Maine will be carbon neutral by 2045. And we are taking steps every day to get there.

At the same time, we will be expanding our economy, attracting young people to our state, and encouraging young people to stay with good-paying new green collar jobs.

Maine is small, but Maine is fiercely determined. In Iceland they like to say there are no problems, only solutions.

Iceland’s Prime Minister says “It can be an advantage to be small. You can do things bigger and faster. You can actually change everything in a short amount of time.” Well, we know that too.

As a state which has also changed a lot in a short amount of time, Maine knows firsthand that we cannot — and are not — waiting for others to lead.

I am Governor Janet Mills.

Thank you for listening.

Health care saves lives.

That is why one of my Administration’s top priorities is to ensure that Maine families, small businesses, and self-employed people have access to high-quality, affordable health care. 

While we have made significant progress by expanding MaineCare to more than 38,000 people this year, protecting health care for Maine people with pre-existing conditions and passing legislation to reduce prescription drug costs, and supporting treatment to combat the opioid epidemic, we still can do more.

Good morning, I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.

This week I announced a statewide campaign called CoverME to help Maine people, individuals self-employed, and small businesses understand their health insurance choices and sign up for the coverage that they need.

Later this month, CoverME will run digital and tv ads across the State of Maine about the importance of health insurance. The campaign will distribute education materials about MaineCare expansion and the upcoming open enrollment period for private HealthCare.gov plans, that runs from November 1 to December 15 of this year. 

The CoverME campaign is supported by a $750,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and it requires no state funding.  

You know health care should not be a luxury, or a privilege reserved for well to do people, and yet more than 106,000 Maine people do not have health insurance. 

That is unacceptable. You know we all get sick, we all need to go to a doctor at some point, and as Governor, my top priority is to ensure that every Maine person is able to see a doctor, to get preventive care and to afford critical prescription medications so they can all stay healthy, and work and care for their families.

I hope that if your family or you are struggling with medical bills in our complicated health care system, you will please visit www.CoverME.gov to find out if you qualify for affordable, quality health care coverage.

That’s www.coverme — c-o-v-e-r.m-e —.gov.

You can also call 1-800-965-7476 for free help.

That’s 1-800-965-7476.

I am Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.