Healthcare Advocacy Bus Tour Plans 40 Stops Across 15 States

Protect Our Care’s “Sick of It! Fix Health Care Now” bus tour began in Bangor and is traveling to communities across multiple states to highlight concerns about health care costs and coverage. The group and participating advocates blame President Trump and congressional Republicans’ Medicaid cuts and changes to Affordable Care Act tax credits for worsening affordability, and are urging lawmakers to restore premium tax credits, reverse Medicaid cuts, expand drug-price negotiations and extend out-of-pocket and insulin cost caps to people with private insurance. At Maine and New Hampshire events, speakers including cancer survivor Laura Packard described fears about losing affordable coverage, while local officials and advocates warned that people may delay care and that medical costs can strain families and communities. Maine congressional candidate Matt Dunlap also advocated for universal health care, arguing that medical debt and limited access leave people vulnerable.