BANGOR, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) met with Maine organizations focused on proactive approaches to health and wellness as he highlighted the role they play in cutting costs and improving public health. Senator King first met with team members at the Bangor Region YMCA and toured their Teen Center, which opened last year and works to address isolation, drug, and alcohol issues with young people. Following this visit, Senator King toured the new pediatrics facility at Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC), which opened last November. PCHC and the Bangor Region YMCA are regional leaders in preventive healthcare; representatives from each organization were among the voices at an October panel discussion on prevention hosted by Senator King in Bangor.

“These facilities occupy different roles in the community, but they share a common and vital goal: improving the health, safety, and future of the Bangor region,” said Senator King. “The Bangor Region YMCA is a longtime pillar of the community, working to help young people address behavioral and mental health challenges, including substance use disorders, and the new state-of-the-art facilities at PCHC are helping the organization expand its efforts to treat childhood health problems so Maine kids can grow up to live happy, healthy lives. By focusing on prevention, these organizations are working upstream to address health challenges before they get serious and making a real difference in the process. I’m so grateful for their work on behalf of our state.”

“We were so honored to have Senator King visit our magical YMCA,” said Diane Dickerson, CEO, Bangor Region YMCA. “We have an array of programs that serve the needs of our entire community from babies to seniors. Senator King saw this work firsthand today, as our Teen Center was filled with teens having a Pizza Party and our Second Wind Senior Group was enjoying a Pot Luck and Movie Day. Our many health and wellness programs align with Senator King’s focus on prevention, and we are grateful he made the time to spend with us here at the Y.”

"PCHC is honored to welcome Sen. King to our new home for pediatrics and the soon-to-be-opened Warren Center for Speech and Audiology," said Lori Dwyer, President and CEO, Penobscot Community Health Care. "We are grateful for the Senator’s careful focus on prevention and ensuring access to holistic prevention services for children and adults.  In this new space, PCHC is doing its part by expanding the number of children who will get integrated preventive care--from immunizations to psychiatric care to speech therapy—and the number of children and adults who will get critical audiology services.  Here, we screen for medical and non-medical challenges families face, like food insecurity, and we know that focusing on families in this way reduces the cost to our system and save money for our families.”

Senator King is a champion for prevention policies across the board – including advocating for the benefits and financial benefits of proactive and preventive healthcare. In November, Senator King introduced the Primary Care Patient Protection Act to allow consumers enrolled in high-deductible health plans (HDHP) to be covered for two yearly visits to primary care physicians. Also in November, Senator King held a public event in Portland to remind Maine people to register during the current Open Enrollment Period for healthcare plans. At the end of October, he urged the federal government to evaluate the effectiveness of federal workplace wellness programs.

Last May, Senator King introduced the Preventive Health Savings Act, which would direct the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to more accurately reflect the cost-savings of preventive healthcare, including health screenings. Under current law, the CBO only measures the budgetary impact of legislation in a ten-year timeframe; in contrast, the Preventive Health Savings Act would allow Congressional Committees reviewing healthcare legislation to request up to two additional ten-year projection windows to provide a better understanding of the legislation’s long-term effect on the nation’s healthcare spending.

In March 2019, Senator King introduced the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act, which incentivizes healthier living by allowing Americans to use a portion of the money saved in their pre-tax health savings accounts toward qualified sports and fitness purchases such as gym memberships. Also in March, he introduced legislation to help seniors and individuals with disabilities navigate the complex web of federal home modification programs; by investing in small changes like grab bars in the shower or a ramp in place of stairs, these Americans can reduce the risk of a serious fall that brings major expenses for both the individual and the Medicare and Medicaid systems. In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last November, he highlighted the importance of pursuing preventive healthcare measures to reduce overall healthcare costs for service members and veterans.