Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

Affordable health care for all will grow Maine's economy. It is also the right thing to do. Everything starts with good health. We need to get better results for our health care dollars and better quality. Maine must move away from fee-for-service medical care towards a system that pays for results. Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) such as those sponsored by Eastern Maine Medical Center and St Joseph's Hospital are heading in this direction.

Geoff's positions on health care:

Strong advocate of expanding health insurance to 70,000 low income Mainers (this includes 3000 veterans) using federal dollars. Maine has already sent this money to Washington in the form of taxes and if Maine doesn't use it, some other state will get it. Expanding health care will be an enormous jobs bill, bringing $750,000 per day into Maine's economy and providing employment for 3100 people. Legislative action; Governor LePage vetoed MaineCare expansion in 2013; a return vote is pending 2014

No one buys a car before shopping around; the same should be possible for elective medical procedures. Geoff is the author of the "Transparency Bill' (link), currently before the legislature (LD number pending). This bill will make it easier for consumers to find out the costs of common medical procedures and tests. Smart shoppers need to know about prices and quality so that they can comparison shop before they buy. It should be possible to find the cost of an x ray or uncomplicated procedure before the bill arrives. This Legislation also improves joint planning and coordination between the four agencies in Maine that work with health care data. Legislative action: pending hearings 2014

Supported a bill to lower medication prices by allowing carefully selected Canadian drugs to be sold in Maine. Geoff has held a Canadian medical license for thirty years, has utilized Canadian pharmacies so his patients can save money, and has had no more problems with Canadian medicines than with those from the United States. Legislative action: passed by legislature and vetoed by Governor LePage.

Strong supporter of Kids Safe Product Act which would remove toxic chemicals such as BPA and phthalates from kids products. Geoff wants to strengthen the federal TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) here in Maine. He is one of 25 volunteers for the Environmental Health Strategy Center's current round of testing for phthalates and BPA in our bodies. Legislative action: final action pending 2014

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