Bill to help hospitals in rural Maine heads to lawmakers

A proposal to help Maine's hospitals is moving to lawmakers.

The Legislature's Health and Human Services voted Friday to back a Maine Democrat's bill to boost reimbursement to hospitals in the largely rural state. The bill now heads to the Legislature for votes.

Rural hospitals in Maine and nationwide are struggling to attract workers, finding ways to save money without shuttering and operating with losses - or just breaking even.

Democratic Senate President Troy Jackson's staff said that about 40 percent of Maine's hospitals are at risk of closing and report losing $20 million in the last five years.

Jackson's bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to boost reimbursement to 100 percent to rural, acute care critical access hospitals and rural health clinics.