March 6, 2025- Maine’s hospitals and nursing homes are already under stress, and the situation could soon get worse because of a looming $118 million shortfall in the state’s Medicaid program, according to WGME 13 News. DHHS says starting March 12, they will temporarily withhold certain payments from providers, which will also impact hospitals. Hospitals are intertwined with behavioral health providers and nursing homes, which heavily rely on MaineCare, according to WGME 13 News. If these two parts of the health care system cannot stay open due to lack of funds, the overflow of patients could go to emergency rooms at hospitals, which are already experiencing extreme crowding across the country, according to the National Institute of Health.