The American people have been waiting a long time for private markets and the federal government to devise workable solutions to the rising cost of health care and address the needs of nearly 47 million U.S. residents who have no health insurance or can no longer afford health insurance. Health care and the economy are the two pressing issues on the minds of voters this year and the presidential candidates are being pushed to deliver not just ideas but answers. A robust economy requires healthy people. Families want to be assured their children will grow up healthy and strong. Not able to wait for a national consensus, over the past decade many states have attempted to create new models to meet the growing need for access, affordability and quality of care. Maine was one of the first.
By Dr. Robert McAfee
