State Estimates 627 People Will Lose MaineCare Coverage as Some Non-Citizens Set to Become Ineligible

by Seamus Othot | Jul 5, 2026

An estimated 627 non-citizen MaineCare recipients are set to lose their taxpayer-funded healthcare on October 1 following changes made by President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill budget, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced on Wednesday.

The DHHS Office of MaineCare Services issued its notice warning that, on October 1, some non-citizens, including refugees and asylees without lawful permanent resident status—categories that could include asylum seekers who entered the country illegally—will lose their MaineCare coverage.

The coverage loss comes from Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill, which also included work requirements for Medicaid coverage.

The DHHS clarified that the changes would not affect coverage for anyone under the age of 21, or “pregnant people.”

The announcement revealed that, last week, the Maine Office of Family Independence (OFI) sent letters to 426 households and 627 individuals.

While the state expects those individuals to become ineligible for full MaineCare coverage, the DHHS clarified that they will remain eligible for Emergency Services MaineCare coverage.

The letter was translated into the six languages most commonly spoken among the “impacted population,” though the DHHS did not specify which languages those are.

Formal notices of coverage changes are anticipated to be mailed in September 2026.

The DHHS notice serves as an admission that the state is aware of at least 627 foreigners who do not have lawful resident status receiving healthcare benefits paid for by working Mainers’ taxes.

Seamus Othot is a reporter for The Maine Wire. He grew up in New Hampshire, and graduated from The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, where he was able to spend his time reading the great works of Western Civilization. He can be reached at [email protected] or ‪(401) 216-9160‬.

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