Westbrook, MAINE – Today, a federal judge in Texas will hear the first arguments in a case backed by Governor Paul LePage that threatens the Affordable Care Act and its protection of pre-existing conditions. Where does Shawn Moody stand on the issue?

Moody, after all, is no fan of the Affordable Care Act, calling it “a government bailout for the insurance companies and the hospitals”, and he has repeatedly stood by the governor and his hardline, ideologically-driven positions on health care, like when he filed a plan for Medicaid expansion but asked the federal government to reject it.

Maine voters deserve to know if he stands with Governor LePage on this lawsuit, which will have far-reaching healthcare implications for Mainers.

“Shawn Moody has fought against affordable, accessible healthcare by railing against the Affordable Care Act, towing the Republican line on voter-approved Medicaid expansion, and declaring that healthcare is a privilege, not a human right,” said Phil Bartlett, Chairman of the Maine Democratic Party. “So does Moody also believe that people with pre-existing conditions should not be protected? Does he, like Governor LePage, support the federal lawsuit chipping away at the Affordable Care Act and undermining these critical protections? Or does he stand with Maine people and their ability to access high-quality, affordable healthcare for themselves and their family? Maine people deserve to know.”

Moody has repeatedly said that he is opposed to the Affordable Care Act and he has continued to hold Paul LePage’s hardline on Medicaid expansion despite it being the law of the land. Moody has also previously said that he would fight to repeal Medicaid expansion as governor and that “we can’t let [expansion] happen.”

Meanwhile, the implications of this case backed by LePage are significant. If the court rules in favor of Governor LePage and his fellow Republicans, the decision would:

  • Lead to a 50 percent increase in the uninsured rate -- seventeen million people could lose their coverage in a single year
  • Gut protections for 130 million people with pre-existing conditions if they buy coverage on their own
  • Cut improvements to Medicare, including reduced costs for prescription drugs
  • No longer allow kids to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26
  • Get rid of the ban on annual and lifetime limits and the ban on insurance discrimination against women and people over age 50

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