Healthcare affordability is a growing crisis for Mainers
Inflation over the past decade has affected nearly every part of daily life — from food and fuel to utilities and rent. While general inflation has slowed recently, the cumulative effect of higher prices has strained household budgets. When it comes to medical care, however, costs have climbed even faster than overall inflation, leaving many Mainers feeling the pressure at the doctor’s office and the pharmacy counter. Families increasingly delay or skip care because they simply cannot afford it, a trend that hurts not only personal well-being but also workplace productivity and Maine’s broader economy. Addressing rising healthcare costs remains one of the state’s most pressing challenges.
Multiple factors are driving up healthcare costs
Experts point to several contributing forces behind the fast-rising price of care. Maine has the oldest population in the nation, and older adults typically require more frequent, complex and costly medical services. At the same time, chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are becoming more common and more expensive to manage. Prescription drugs remain a significant contributor to overall cost trends, with both long-standing medications and emerging specialty therapies rising at rates well beyond general inflation. Consolidation among hospitals and other healthcare providers also plays a role; when health systems merge, prices often rise and patient choice can shrink, creating a cycle that drives up costs for consumers.
Cost growthin healthcare is a shared responsibility
Assigning blame for rising healthcare prices isn’t straightforward. Cost growth reflects a combination of forces across nearly every corner of the system. Over the past five to ten years, healthcare inflation has consistently outpaced broader inflation, affecting nearly all aspects of care. Experts agree, however, that managing cost growth is the responsibility of everyone involved in the healthcare ecosystem — insurers, providers, policymakers, and patients alike — if care is to remain accessible and sustainable.
Anthem’s efforts to help Mainers navigate health costs
For its part, Anthem Blue CrossandBlue Shield says it focuses daily on helping Mainers manage their healthcare costs—work that is central to what employers and families in the state rely on from their health plans. One key approach is negotiating fair prices with healthcare providers in Anthem’s network, ensuring that patients and employers don’t bear the brunt of unchecked price increases. When public disputes arise between insurers and large health systems, they’re often rooted in disagreements over the prices customers ultimately pay—and Anthem says it negotiates hard on behalf of its members. Anthem also works to secure competitive pricing for prescription drugs, a significant contributor to affordability pressures.
Beyond contracting, the insurer encourages members to engage proactively with their health, offering incentives to choose high-quality, lower-cost providers and digital tools that help consumers track and manage their health care needs. Anthem’s plans in Maine include options designed with affordability in mind, including coverage that may come with financial assistance, preventive care at no cost, and $0 virtual care opportunities.
A call for partnership across the healthcare system
Looking ahead, Anthem leaders emphasize the importance of collaboration. All stakeholders—from hospitals and physicians to insurers and policymakers—must keep affordability at the forefront if Mainers are to access the care they need without jeopardizing financial security. Without continued focus and cooperation, public health outcomes could suffer.
For more about how Anthem is approaching healthcare affordability in Maine, visit www.anthem.com/update/affordability-in-maine.
This article is sponsored by Anthem.
