"Maine's Health Care Crisis: A Detriment to Public Health"
Maine is facing a crisis in accessing healthcare services, with many patients struggling to find primary care doctors, medical specialists, mental health counselors, and dentists. The pandemic exacerbated the problem as people delayed care and flooded the healthcare system with untreated or chronic health problems. The healthcare workforce shrank during the pandemic, leaving fewer professionals to see an increasing number of sicker patients. Delayed care leads to sicker patients with more complex conditions. The state's population growth and a shortage of healthcare workers have contributed to the access problem. Solutions being explored include increasing reimbursement rates, loan forgiveness for health graduates, and expanding telehealth services.