Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/442112
ByAlannaDurkin TheAssociatedPress AUGUSTA,MAINE Gov.Paul LePage's administration spent nearly $53,000 on pri- vate lawyers in its failed at- tempt to remove thousands of low-income young adults from the state's Medicaid program after being told by Maine's attorney gen- eral that he couldn't win the case, according to doc- uments obtained by The As- sociated Press. The Republican gover- nor went to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals after the federal government denied his request to end Med- icaid coverage for about 6,000 19- and 20-year olds. He was forced to seek out- side counsel after Attorney General Janet Mills, a Dem- ocrat, declined to represent the state. Mills refused to repre- sent the administration be- cause the case had "little legal merit" and "wouldn't be a good use of time and money," she said in an inter- view this month. She even joined the federal govern- ment in fighting LePage's effort in court. But she allowed the gov- ernor to hire outside coun- sel because of the earnest- ness of his position and be- cause she said it's not her "aim to prevent the gover- nor, as the chief executive, from pursuing public policy in initiatives." The Maine Department of Health and Human Services paid $51,918 to Portland law firm Roach, Hewitt, Ruprecht, Sanchez & Bischoff from June to De- cember, according to docu- ments provided to the AP through a Freedom of Ac- cess Act request. An addi- tional $751 was paid to the firm through LePage's of- fice before the money was transferred to DHHS, doc- uments from his office show. All payments came from the governor's contingency fund, which he can, for the most part, use at his discre- tion. A federal appeals court in November sided with the federal government in rejecting LePage's request. The court agreed that Maine can't roll back cover- age for 19- and 20-year-olds because the Affordable Care Act requires states to main- tain their level of coverage for children until 2019. Jack Comart, litigation director for Maine Equal Justice Partners, which op- posed the governor's move, said the private lawyer rep- resenting the administra- tion "made the best out of a bad case." "But the court found no merit in their arguments," he said. "So it was not a good use of taxpayer dol- lars." DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew defended the expense, saying the ad- ministration pursued the case because it believes the tax dollars spent to cover the young adults should in- stead go to help the elderly and disabled. Maine shouldn't be "stuck with a program sub- ject to the whims of Wash- ington D.C," she said in a statement. State officials have esti- mated that cutting coverage for the 19-and-20 year-olds would save the state nearly $4 million a year. Mayhew cr iticized Mills for actively op- posing "her own state," which she said drove up the administration's legal bills by thousands of dol- lars. Mills dismissed that idea and said none of the actions her office took increased the adminis- tration's fees or involve- ment in the case. A spokeswoman for LeP- age did not respond to a re- quest for comment from the AP. LePage has suggested that the legal fight might not be over, telling the Maine Public Broadcast- ing Network that he hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case. A spokesman for Maine DHHS said it's not prepared to discuss plans for future litigation. Comart said it's unlikely that the Supreme Court would consider the case be- cause there is no disagree- ment between courts to be settled. MEDICAID FIGHT AP : Ma in e go ve rn or s pe nt $ 53 ,0 00 o n la wy er s The Associated Press OMAHA, NEB. An Amer- ican health care worker who experienced high-risk exposure to the Ebola virus while working in Sierra Le- one arrived at a Nebraska hospital Sunday for obser- vation. The patient landed in Omaha on Sunday after- noon. Paramedics wearing full-body protective gear drove the patient to the Nebraska Medical Center, which has a specialized bio- containment unit. Dr. Phil Smith, who leads the unit, said the patient is neither ill nor contagious. He said the patient will be observed for any signs of Ebola throughout the vi- rus' 21-day incubation pe- riod, and that "all appro- priate precautions" will be taken. Hospital spokesman Tay- lor Wilson added that doc- tors and nurses are wear- ing full protective gear and taking the same precau- tions they did when treat- ing patients with Ebola, even though this patient hasn't tested positive. The Omaha hospital treated three patients with Ebola last fall. Dr. Rick Sa- cra, who worked at a Libe- rian hospital, and freelance video journalist Ashoka Mukpo, who also worked in Liberia, both recov- ered from Ebola after be- ing treated at the hospital. Dr. Martin Salia, who con- tracted Ebola while work- ing in Sierra Leone, was much more ill when he ar- rived in Nebraska and he did not survive. Doctors have said early treatment increases the chances of surviving the virus. Few details have been released about the latest patient. Hospital officials said he or she would have to agree to disclose any in- formation. The World Health Or- ganization estimates that roughly 8,000 people have died from the Ebola out- break in West Africa that began about a year ago. US medical worker arrives in Omaha THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Health workers load a suspected Ebola patient into the back of an ambulance in Freetown, Sierra Leone. An American health care worker who experienced high-risk exposure to the Ebola virus while working in Sierra Leone has arrived at a Nebraska hospital. EBOLA VIRUS The Associated Press GENEVA The World Health Organization says at least 8,153 people have died in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The Geneva-based body said Monday that the to- tal number of confirmed, probable and suspected deaths from the disease comes from 20,656 cases in the three most affected countries — a mortality rate of 39 percent. The U.N. health agency says 2,915 deaths have been reported from Sierra Leone, 3,471 in Liberia and 1,767 in Guinea. The current outbreak, which began about a year ago, has also claimed more than dozen lives else- where. The Ebola virus causes a form of hemorrhagic fe- ver and is transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood, vomit or feces. UN: Ebola kills 8,153 people in West Africa VICTIMS The Associated Press LYNWOOD Registered nurses plan a week's worth of rallies as the Califor- nia attorney general's of- fice holds hearings on the fate of six nonprofit Catho- lic hospitals. The nurses are encouraging approval of the sale of Daughters of Charity hospitals to Prime Health- care Services Inc., which has promised to maintain existing services. The 150-year-old Daugh- ters of Charity chain is known for serving the poor. Starting Monday in Lyn- wood, the attorney gener- al's office will hold six pub- lic hearings in each of the communities served by the hospitals. Prime, based in Ontario, operates 29 hospitals in California. and eight other states. CALIFORNIA Hearings set on sale of Daughters of Charity hospitals By Alicia A. Caldwell The Associated Press WASHINGTON The Home- land Security Department is ending Ebola-related airport screening proce- dures for travelers from Mali. Starting today, travelers from Mali won't be subject to monitoring for possible symptoms of Ebola upon arrival. And, they will no longer be required to en- ter the U.S. through one of five designated airports. Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control say the require- ments are being lifted be- cause two 21-day incuba- tion cycles have passed since the last Ebola pa- tient in that West Afri- can nation had contact with someone not wear- ing personal protective equipment. There are also no active Ebola cases in Mali right now. Travel restrictions and monitoring remain in place for visitors from Guinea, Liberia and Si- erra Leone. TRAVELERS US E bo la -r el at ed sc re en in g re st ri ct io ns l i ed fo r Ma li By Larry O'dell The Associated Press RICHMOND, VA. Mental health and civil liber- ties advocates are urg- ing Gov. Terry McAuliffe to intervene in the case of a Virginia inmate with autism who faces trial Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a correctional officer. Reginald "Neli" Lat- son's supporters and law- yers say he needs treat- ment, not punishment, for intellectual disabil- ities that they say have caused his three clashes with law enforcement since 2010. They have asked McAu- liffe to grant conditional clemency so Latson can be moved to a secure treatment facility in Flor- ida that has agreed to ac- cept him. McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy said the gov- ernor is concerned but can't do anything until the pending charge is re- solved in Stafford County Circuit Court. Latson faces six months to five years behind bars if convicted. Latson, 23, already has twice been jailed for as- saulting police officers. His supporters say those incidents stem from a "fight or flight" reflex as- sociated with his autism spectrum disorder. 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