A spending bill that would fill a $118 million gap in MaineCare funding fell two votes shy of passage in the Maine Senate on Thursday.
Senate Republicans rejected a compromise bill after lawmakers missed a Tuesday deadline to pass the bill as an emergency measure and avoid a reduction in MaineCare payments to healthcare providers that went into effect on Wednesday.
Republican are calling for more changes to make MaineCare more financially sustainable.
Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, Republican Sen. Matt Harrington of York said the party won’t approve the budget without concessions from Democrats to “fix the underlying problem.”
Senate President Mattie Daughtry says she’s deeply concerned about the lack of progress and the fate of healthcare providers that rely on MaineCare reimbursements.
As of Wednesday, hospitals started receiving only 70 percent of the reimbursements that they’re owed under MaineCare.
Without an agreement on Thursday, lawmakers will have to vote on a new bill.
