A newly released federal report shows Maine’s uninsured rate dropped nearly 5 percentage points among those eligible for Medicaid expansion from 2018 to 2020, the third largest decline in the nation.

According to the report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Maine’s uninsured rate dropped 4.9 percentage points – from 21.3 percent in 2018 to 16.5 percent in 2020 – among adults aged 19-64 who had incomes under 138 percent of the federal poverty level (about $17,600), a news release stated.

This was the third largest decline among states, after Virginia and Idaho, and higher than two other states (Nebraska and Utah) that expanded Medicaid during that time. Over the same period, more than half of states experienced an increase in their state uninsured rate among this population.

“Maine people voted overwhelmingly to expand Medicaid, which is why I moved to implement expansion on day one of my administration after months of needless delay,” said Governor Janet Mills. “And now, this report shows that expansion is working, proving once again that Maine people were right. Expanding health care was the right thing to do for our people and for our economy. Nearly 98,000 people across Maine can see a doctor, afford medications, and receive preventive care to keep them healthy — which is critically important as we recover from the pandemic. My Administration will continue to fight for more accessible and affordable health care for all Maine people.”

Medicaid expansion was approved overwhelmingly by Maine voters in 2017 at the ballot box. Today, 97,821 residents are covered through the expansion, and it has helped more than 134,000 people in the three years since its launch — or approximately one in 10 residents.