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A timeline of health care tumult
The first few months of 2025 have brought turmoil for health care programs and services in Maine at both the federal and state level. The Trump administration’s efforts to reduce spending have led to thousands of layoffs and slashed funding, while state budget fights have halted payments to providers.
Here’s a timeline of events:
January 24, 2025
President Trump signs executive orders rescinding Biden-era policies on abortion access and reinstating the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal taxpayer dollars for most abortions. Read more
February 24, 2025
Congressional Republicans announce a budget plan that would cut about $880 billion in spending on health care and energy over 10 years. Read more
February 28, 2025
The Social Security Administration announces plans to reduce its workforce by about 12 percent. Read more
March 12, 2025
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services pauses payments to certain MaineCare providers after the Maine Legislature fails to pass a budget that would have filled the $118 million MaineCare funding gap. Read more
March 21, 2025
Gov. Janet Mills signs into law a $11.3 billion budget – passed by Democrats over Republican opposition – that includes one-time MaineCare funding that will take effect on June 20. Read more
March 24, 2025
After the termination of six federal public health and behavioral health grants totaling $91 million, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention lays off 40 contracted employees. Read more
March 27, 2025
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announces plans to reduce its workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees, consolidate divisions and close half of its regional offices. The planned cuts include 3,500 full-time employees from the Food and Drug Administration, 2,400 employees from the CDC, 1,200 employees from the National Institutes of Health and 300 employees from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Read more
April 1, 2025
The U.S. CDC lays off about 10,000 employees. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says some will be reinstated. Read more
The federal government dissolves the Administration for Community Living, which administered the Meals on Wheels programs, saying its programs will be absorbed into other agencies. Reporting by NPR found that about 40 percent of the staff had been laid off. Read more
April 8, 2025
Maine Republican lawmakers gather enough signatures for a people’s referendum to veto the passed state budget, which they hope will force Democrats back into negotiations. Gov. Mills urges voters to reject the veto, saying it could lead to a government shutdown. Read more
April 10, 2025
A leaked White House internal memo recommends cutting $40 billion from the Health and Human Services budget next year, including programs related to lead poisoning, opioid recovery and support for rural hospitals, according to the New York Times. Read more
April 17, 2025
The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency imposes new restrictions on federal health care grant payments that require manual reviews from government officials, slowing grant awards to tens of thousands of organizations, according to the Washington Post. Read more
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