WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Senator Angus King today announced that nine Maine healthcare centers will be receiving $23,518,948 in American Rescue Plan funding to address the strains created by the COVID-19 pandemic and support high-quality care in rural areas. The funding is being distributed to providers who service rural Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Medicare beneficiaries, and will be used to help providers keep their doors open, address workforce challenges, and make up for increased costs. This is the latest American Rescue Plan funding coming to Maine, which passed 50-49 last year and continues to provide funds to Maine to stabilize the state economy, fight the COVID-19 pandemic, support small businesses, and help working families.

This funding will help rural healthcare providers:

·       Keep their doors open;

·       Gain funds for salaries, recruitment, or retention; supplies such as N95 or surgical masks; equipment like ventilators or improved filtration systems;

·       Make up for the lost revenues and increased expenses caused by the pandemic;

·       Have resources for capital investments, information technology, and other expenses related to preventing, preparing for, or responding to COVID-19.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine’s rural healthcare centers have done extraordinary work to save lives and keep our communities whole. As Maine grapples with surging caseloads, these funds will deliver much-needed support to our healthcare workers and providers,” said Senator King. “This additional American Rescue Plan funding will provide rural Maine healthcare providers with critical assistance to keep their workers safe and continue providing high-quality care to Maine people in need. I’m grateful for all the hard work of our state’s healthcare workers, and hope that this funding can help them continue their important, lifesaving work.”

“As with all Maine hospitals, MaineGeneral has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Chuck Hays, President & CEO, MaineGeneral Health. “While we continue to face challenges, funds from the American Rescue Plan rural payment program are significant in helping us manage COVID-19 in our community and to continue to provide high-quality health care to the people of the Kennebec Valley.”

The funding will be allocated as follows:

·       MaineGeneral Medical Center  – $21,027,109

·       MaineGeneral Health – $948,944

·       MaineGeneral Health Rehabilitation & Long Term Care – $709,641

·       Northeast Mobile Health Services – $212,494

·       Dover-Foxcroft Healthcare – $193,018

·       Marshall Healthcare – $147,742

·       Dexter Manor Associates – $107,917

·       Woodlawn Nursing Home – $105,873

·       SequelCare of Maine –$66,206

Senator King voted for and worked to negotiate the American Rescue Plan, which has given Maine the resources to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and help local economies recover. It included more than $128 million to expand Maine broadband, nearly $1.5 billion in aid to Maine’s state, county, and local governments, and over $56 million in assistance for Maine’s small business community. You can find a full overview of the American Rescue Plan’s impact on the State of Maine HERE.