I am writing to urge my fellow Mainers to vote in the primaries on July 14 and in the general election on Nov. 3 because the health of every Mainer depends upon it.

This historic moment has caused the death of over 120,000 of our citizens nationwide, putting a strain on our underfunded hospitals and forcing medical teams to deal with short supplies of ICU beds, ventilators and PPE.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. was already lagging far behind the European Union in terms of life expectancy and maternal mortality, which has fallen for the last three years while it rises all around the world. According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, the U.S. health care costs 18% of GDP while the cost is limited to barely 9% of GDP in Europe.

What is clear is that we urgently need representatives to respond to the growing health care crisis that has left over 80 million Americans either not insured or underinsured. Premiums and co-pays are unaffordable and continue to rise. Our newly 40 million unemployed workers find themselves without health care because it is tied to their job.

The reason I support Rep. Chloe Maxmin for Senate District 13 in November is because Chloe understands the urgency of this moment. She has a platform for affordable health care for rural Mainers and says health care must be a human right. Chloe supports funding for our rural health centers, including mental health.

We need responsive and responsible leadership if we are to overcome this crisis. We all need to get out and vote for those who will work to make health care affordable and accessible to all Mainers.

 

Sharon Keisch

Damariscotta