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Jack Ducharme of Madison represents District 71 in the Maine House of Representatives.
Every resident in Maine deserves the peace of mind that comes from knowing they can access the high-quality care they need, when they need it. As a lawmaker, I’m committed to strengthening both our health care system and the transportation networks that make sure that lack of transportation never stands between patients and families and the care they depend on.
Some of my colleagues in the Maine Legislature recently called on the state to re-evaluate its existing non-emergency transportation (NET) provider contracts to ensure the lives of many vulnerable Mainers relying on these services are in the right hands. I welcome the opportunity to engage in discussions regarding quality and access to care for Mainers that are grounded in facts, data, and collaboration.
These contracts were awarded following the Department of Health and Human Services’ thorough, competitive, and merit-based review process. Two rounds of appeals in the Superior Court have upheld the state’s initial determination. Now it is before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court for their consideration.
I have some practical concerns with the critics’ suggested solutions. First, if the state throws out the entire award, then it is back to the drawing board, which could take 18 months or more to complete under the public procurement process. In the meantime, the current awardees would stay in place, and the successful bidder could win again. In the alternative, the state could throw out the award resulting in it going with the second-place bidder. That would still leave the third-place bidder and plaintiff in the legal action out of the running.
To be clear, I am not in favor of one broker or another, I just see some practical challenges with the suggested alternatives I have read from unsuccessful bidders and critics. Perhaps the best answer can be found through dialogue amongst the competing parties including an understanding and fact-checking of grievances from stakeholders, followed by an assessment from key administration officials. The goal is to see if we can come to a common understanding of the challenges and then try to identify a solution.
The bottom line is that the only path forward is one that honors the needs of MaineCare members who need to be the focus here, while also upholding the responsible use of Maine taxpayers’ dollars.
