The change — immediately criticized by pediatric health advocates — eliminates a program that allowed parents to fill out a form at the hospital to secure a Social Security number for their children.
Joe Lawlor
Staff Writer
Joe Lawlor writes about health and human services for the Press Herald. A 24-year newspaper veteran, Lawlor has worked in Ohio, Michigan and Virginia before relocating to Maine in 2013 to join the Press Herald. He is still considered “from away” but since then, he has learned what a “dooryard” is, eaten “whoopie pies” drank Moxie and boiled some “lobstahs.” The stories he enjoys most are when he learns something and meeting inspiring people.
He lives in South Portland - aka “SoPo” - with his wife, Melanie, and two school-age children.
Posted inHealth
Direct care workers fight for restoration of cost-of-living increases in Maine budget
The cost-of-living adjustments were canceled in 2025 for budgetary reasons and were not included in Gov. Mills’ two-year budget proposal.
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Posted inHealth, Local & State, Politics
Maine lawmaker wants MaineCare to cover Ozempic and other weight loss drugs
The Mills administration is opposed to the legislation, citing the cost of the popular drugs.
Posted inLocal & State, News, Politics
A Maine nonprofit is working to fill the void amid USAID cutbacks
Portland-based Partners for World Health is feeling the ripple effects of cuts in foreign humanitarian assistance made by the Trump administration.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
Sen. Susan Collins vows to fight medical research cuts
The Maine Republican said she is helping to form a coalition to undo Trump administration cutbacks, and will also lobby HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, Schools and Education
UNE professor develops new test for breast cancer
The test, now awaiting FDA approval, would help during treatment of triple negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Federal CDC worker in Maine laid off by Trump administration
Hannah Reidel described the ‘chaos and confusion’ at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prior to the layoffs.
Posted inBusiness, Local & State, News
Acadia National Park, SAMHSA employees fired as Trump administration slashes federal workforce
Eight people were laid off from Acadia National Park, cutting the popular tourist attraction’s year-round staff by about 10%.
Posted inHealth, Local & State
Weekly influenza cases nearly double in Maine over last 3 weeks
Maine logged more than 2,000 cases last week as the number of infections continues to rise.
Posted inLocal & State, Politics
After Maine native testifies before Congress, Elon Musk targets his disability
Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette said he’s not surprised by online trolls highlighting his blindness instead of focusing on what he said about eliminating waste and fraud in government.