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Francine Garland Stark is the executive director of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TTY 1-800-437-1220. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.
When the U.S. House of Representatives passed its “big beautiful bill” last week, it sent shivers down the spines of domestic violence advocates because we know what slashing Medicaid funding would mean for people facing domestic violence. The deep cuts to Medicaid in this legislation would create barriers to survivors and their children finding pathways to safety, a practically insurmountable obstacle for survivors who live in rural communities. That’s why we’re looking to Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King to ensure the U.S. Senate rejects these devastating cuts to the healthcare so many Mainers rely on.
Medicaid (MaineCare here in Maine) is the cornerstone of health insurance coverage in the United States, providing healthcare to more than 70 million children, families, seniors and people with disabilities. It’s a lifeline for nearly 400,000 Mainers, who rely on it for trips to the doctor, essential prescriptions, dental care and more. Twenty-eight percent of Mainers who use MaineCare are children. More than half (52 percent) live in rural parts of our state. More than seven in ten adults who are insured by MaineCare hold jobs.
There’s a significant overlap between people who rely on Medicaid and people who experience domestic violence. In 2024 alone, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence’s member programs helped more than 12,300 people experiencing domestic violence statewide. Domestic violence disproportionately impacts women and people with low incomes, many of whom find themselves under financial stress due to fleeing the person who abused them.
These are the same groups who make up a high proportion of the Medicaid-eligible population. Cuts to Medicaid will further reduce the already too-few options many victims have for safety, which will keep them trapped and in danger.
One survivor from Maine, Saré, said: “I know for myself, without MaineCare I wouldn’t have been able to afford the medicine that I needed for the seizures that I have now because of the domestic violence assault. And also the food stamp benefits are helpful because I can’t work due to my disabilities now because of the domestic violence assault I endured, so with two boys and being a single mom you kinda need to eat.”
The bill the U.S. House passed last week that guts Medicaid also contains the largest-ever cut to SNAP, formerly food stamps, which helps low-income families afford nutritious food as grocery prices soar. If enacted, the harm this bill would cause is vast.
Many people experiencing domestic violence have no medical coverage of their own, making it impossible to leave an abusive partner without losing access to routine and preventive healthcare and care for injuries, chronic conditions, or prenatal and pregnancy care. Without a partner’s coverage, Medicaid may be their only option for accessing care without incurring enormous medical debt. For people facing violence, medical care is lifesaving and also a gateway to services that can help them escape and heal from severe physical, psychological, and financial abuse.
Pregnant women are at heightened risk for domestic violence, just one reason accessing healthcare is especially important for them. Medicaid is the only thing keeping the doors open at many of our remaining rural hospitals, which provide prenatal and pregnancy care but also screen pregnant patients for violence and connect them with Domestic Violence Resource Centers and other support.
MaineCare also covers some transportation to help people get to appointments, which more and more often involves long-distance travel. Without it, even more pregnant patients would go without the care that keeps them safe and healthy throughout their pregnancy.
As Congress continues debating the budget, Maine’s senators must remember that Medicaid saves the lives of people experiencing domestic violence. Medicaid coverage can be life changing. It supports safety for people during times of enormous risk and helps them escape and build better lives for themselves and their children.
