There is no question that our nation’s health care system requires substantial reform. The status quo of soaring health care costs, struggling families, and health care provider shortages across Maine and the nation is unacceptable. Senator Collins frequently works with her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address these and other important issues facing our nation such as improved mental health care, drug treatment programs, supporting America’s caregivers, and nutrition programs.

As a native to northern Maine, Senator Collins understands the specific challenges that rural communities face for medical care. Throughout her time in the Senate, Senator Collins has consistently supported programs to expand access to and improve the health care system, particularly for citizens living in rural areas. 

As a freshman legislator, Senator Collins founded the Senate Diabetes Caucus and has since led the effort to more than triple federal funding for diabetes research.

Senator Collins Continues to Protect Northern Maine Veterans’ Access to Health Care

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a provision she authored aiming to preserve Northern Maine veterans’ access to health care. Senator Collins is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

Specifically, Senator Collins’ provision directs the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that veterans who participated in the Access Received Closer to Home (ARCH) pilot maintain continuity of care through the use of provider agreements.

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Senator Collins Welcomes Report on Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, welcomed the findings and recommendations of a National Academies of Sciences (NAS) study released yesterday. Titled, “Pain Management and the Opioid Epidemic: Balancing Societal and Individual Benefits and Risks of Prescription,” the report provides background on the opioid epidemic, including trends, risk factors, progress, and future directions in pain and opioid use disorder. It also includes policy-making recommendations going forward.

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King, Collins, Durbin, Portman, Brown, Capito Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Substance Abuse Treatment Under Medicaid

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) have introduced  the Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion (Medicaid CARE) Act, bipartisan legislation that would expand access to substance abuse treatment for tens of thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries across the country.

 

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Senators Collins, Baldwin’s RAISE Family Caregivers Act Clears Key Senate Hurdle

Washington, D.C. — The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee unanimously passed legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), the Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to establish a national strategy to support family caregivers. The Recognize, Assist, Include, Support, and Engage, or RAISE, Family Caregivers Act will now be considered by the full Senate.

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Senator Susan Collins’ Statement on Passage of House Health Care Bill

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, released this statement following the passage of the House health care bill:

“Our current health care system is under considerable stress. In several states, the individual insurance market is on the verge of collapse, leaving consumers with no insurer willing to sell them insurance that qualifies for ACA subsidies. In many other states, those who do have coverage are experiencing large increases in premium costs, deductibles, and co-pays.

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Senators Collins and Shaheen’s Bipartisan Legislation to Establish National Diabetes Commission Heads to Senate Floor

Washington, D.C. - Bipartisan legislation reintroduced by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), co-chairs of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, to establish a national commission of health care experts to advance diabetes care and prevention will be sent to the Senate floor after being unanimously passed today by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

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Senator Collins Announces Maine to Receive More Than $2 Million to Fight the Opioid Crisis

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee and a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will award the State of Maine $2,039,029 to fight the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic.  HHS is releasing a total of $485 million in funding to all 50 states to combat drug addiction.

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Collins, Klobuchar, Heitkamp Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Number of Doctors in Rural and Other Medically Underserved Areas

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) introduced bipartisan legislation to boost the number of doctors able to work in rural America. The Conrad State 30 & Physician Access Act would allow international doctors to remain in the U.S. upon completing their residency under the condition that they practice in underserved areas, such as rural communities.

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Senator Collins Participates in Panel Discussion on the Future of Health Care

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins participated in a health care panel hosted by Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston and organized by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN). The discussion was part of a series of panels ACS CAN is organizing in Maine and other states to promote meaningful dialogue about health reform.

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