AFFORDABILITY
Affordable care is out of reach for many Mainers. After years of rising healthcare costs, people can no longer afford annual price increases that consistently outstrip wage growth and inflation. Some blame for-profit insurance carriers for those rising costs, but it is primarily high hospital prices—not insurance carriers—that are the driving force behind the high cost of health care and the rising cost of insurance premiums. As Mainers continue to struggle with the cost of care, hospital prices continue to rise unabatedly.
Deductibles and Premiums Compared to Inflation and Wages
Whaley, Christopher M., et al. Prices Paid to Hospitals by Private Health Plans: Round 5. https://employersforumindiana.org/media/resources/Prices-Paid-to-Hospitals-by-Private-Health-Plans-Round-5-Chris-Whaley-2024-05-13.pdf . Employer’s Forum of Indiana
Almost half of Maine households have medical debt.
CONSUMER RESPONSE TO AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
In 2025, Consumers for Affordable Health Care surveyed Mainers on the impact of healthcare costs, revealing the extent of the affordability crisis here in Maine.
Many Maine families struggled to pay for necessities, used savings, were contacted by a collection agency, or incurred credit card debt – frequently due to a bill from a hospital.
Only one out of ten Maine families with hospital-based medical debt receive financial assistance through a hospital. Twice as many have been denied financial assistance through a hospital.
Healthcare Prices Compared to Other Goods and Services
Mark J. Perry. “Chart of the Century.” Twitter, 25 January 2026, https://x.com/Mark_J_Perry/status/2015463505298878746
Two out of three Mainers with medical debt say diagnostics contributed to their debt. At least half say surgery or emergency room treatment contributed to their debt.
50 percent of Mainers have delayed or skipped medical care due to high healthcare costs.
