Posted inMaine, sj-web

DHHS budget addresses LePage’s vision not lack of funding

AUGUSTA, Maine — Despite accounting for about half of the governor’s proposed $6.3 billion two-year spending plan — and including provisions that immediately sparked controversy two years ago — the new budget proposal for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has earned few remarks in Augusta. That’s partly because Gov. Paul LePage’s budget […]

Posted inMaine, sj-web

Maine DHHS says it’s ready to drug test TANF applicants

AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration has the green light to begin drug testing some welfare applicants. A spokesman for Attorney General Janet Mills said Tuesday that her office has given final approval to the governor’s proposed rule and submitted it to the secretary of state’s office. Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner […]

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Posted inMaine, sj-web

DHHS says EBT card photo fight could lead to loss of SNAP benefits

AUGUSTA — The roughly 249,000 Mainers who receive federal funds to help them buy food could see that aid vanish if an ongoing dispute between state and federal agencies over a new program that urges recipients to put their photos on the cards they use to buy groceries. Food and Nutrition Service — the U.S. […]

Posted inMaine, sj-web

6,500 Mainers to lose food stamps in January

AUGUSTA (AP) — More than 6,000 Maine residents will lose their food stamps benefits next month under newly enforced rules that require some recipients to have a job, Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew said. Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration began in October to enforce a three-month limit on benefits for childless […]

Posted inLetters

B. Noddin: How did it happen?

It seems that the timing of Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew’s latest rally against the poor is perfect. Since it is Thanksgiving, what better time to send a letter to Maine’s congressional delegation pushing for federal reduction in Food Stamp assistance as she and the LePage administration are trying to make […]

Posted inMaine, sj-web

Maine DHHS commissioner lobbies feds for food stamp reform

AUGUSTA — Maine’s health and human services chief on Monday pressed members of the state’s congressional delegation to join her in pushing for federal changes to overhaul the food stamps program. In a letter, Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew said Maine residents are concerned about the “proliferation of welfare benefits and seemingly […]

Posted inMaine, sj-web

Maine DHHS says it won’t exercise do-not-resuscitate order on baby

PORTLAND — The child welfare agency that won the right to make medical decisions on behalf of a brain-injured infant is backtracking, saying it will defer to the wishes of the child’s mother. Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew said in a statement that her agency will not exercise its authority […]

Posted inLetters

A. Elze: Get DHHS back on track

Am I missing something? A headline on Aug. 20 read “DHHS backlogs irritate Mainers.” There was another article back on June 18 regarding the same problem. The person in charge of administering Department of Health and Human Services programs is Mary Mayhew who, if I remember correctly, was involved with the shredding mess at DHHS […]

Posted inLetters

R. Worthley: No assistance for illegals

A civilian medal of honor should be established and presented to Gov. Paul LePage and DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew for withstanding the Democrats’ vicious media war being waged against them. They are using intelligence and common sense to prevent working people from paying more than 50 percent of their wages to a liberal, corrupt system […]

Posted inMaine, sj-web

Feds again urge Maine to delay EBT card photos

AUGUSTA (AP) — Gov. Paul LePage’s administration said Monday that it will begin putting photos on welfare benefit cards throughout Maine, but federal officials are again urging the state to wait to ensure that it is complying with laws and regulations. Maine has been issuing the new electronic benefit transfer cards in Bangor since April, […]