As of July 1, Maine immigrants under 21 and those who are pregnant can now receive benefits through the state's Medicaid program and Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Maine Beacon reported July 11.
The benefit expansion was the result of a 2021 budget deal between Gov. Janet Mills and state lawmakers, according to the report.
In 2011, then-Gov. Paul Lepage stripped Medicaid and CHIP eligibility from people with certain immigration statuses, according to the report. Prior to that, Maine specifically included immigrants in those programs.