Maine Hospital Association

“There is simply no ability for hospitals to absorb a $1.2 billion cut in 2028,” said one industry leader. A union advocate said the bill “takes a modest but important step” to address rising health care costs.

Steven Michaud joined the Augusta-based trade association in 1987 and was named president in 1999.  He will be succeeded by Jeffrey Austin.

In 2026, more turmoil is coming for health care providers and patients.

Steven Michaud, president of the Maine Hospital Association, welcomed the ruling “as a huge victory for Maine hospitals and their patients."

Problems are being addressed by individual hospitals and hospital systems trying to figure out how to provide the right amount of services and preserve access to care without going broke.

Steven Michaud, president of the Maine Hospital Association, said the funding helps mitigate some of the damage caused by rolled back support for Medicaid.

The lawsuit, filed against Trump administration health officials in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, seeks to preserve a federal program that provides lower-cost drugs to hospitals and clinics that serve rural, poor and underserved populations.

The hardest-hit facilities are expected to include Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, MaineGeneral Health in Augusta and Maine Medical Center in Portland.

As hospitals struggle with a deepening financial crisis, they're trying to figure out how to provide the right amount of services and preserve access to care without going broke.

High costs, plummeting revenues and aging infrastructure are resulting in reduced services, delayed critical investments and stretched resources.