Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I N O. X X V I I N OV E M B E R 2 8 , 2 0 1 6 6 Downeaster ridership soars 19% for FY2016 Amtrak reported that the Downeaster train, which connects Boston and Maine, reported rider- ship of 500,081 for the fi scal year ended Sept. 30, a gain of 18.9%. In FY2015, the Downeaster reported 420,752 passengers. Overall, Amtrak carried 31.3 million passengers, a 1.3% gain from 30.9 million a year earlier. It reported its smallest oper- ating loss in decades, $227 million, the Wall Street Journal reported. Separately, Amtrak said it would add a third daily train between Maine and Boston. Head of state energy of ce to step down Patrick Woodcock, who has led Gov. Paul LePage's Energy Offi ce since 2013, will leave his post on Dec. 9. Woodcock, 34, said he grew frus- trated by the undue infl uence of special interest groups in shaping the state's energy policies. "Augusta is really broken," he told the Portland Press Herald. Woodcock worked toward LePage's goal of expanding natural gas capacity and cutting rates for customers, which at times drew criticism from environmental groups, Maine Public reported. Woodcock did not say what's next, but said he hopes to stay in the energy sec- tor. Prior to joining the state energy offi ce, the Bowdoin College graduate was a senior advisor for energy and environment for former U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe. B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state S T A T E W I D E Studies highlight health disparities for low-income Mainers, rural counties BANGOR — A new report by Maine Health Access Foundation and the Muskie School of Public Service reveals signifi cant inequalities in the ability of Mainers to access quality health care based on income, age and education. The analysis found that families with income of less than $25,000 a year, young adults, racial and ethnic minorities and people with less education are more likely to: ¡ Delay seeking health care even when sick ¡ Be unable to afford prescription medication ¡ Lack access to preventative health checkups and screen- ings or have a regular health care provider. "If you're young, have a low income, lack higher education or are a racial or ethnic minority, health care may be a luxury that you struggle to afford," said Barbara Leonard, president and CEO of the Maine Health Access Foundation, in a state- ment accompanying the report. "Many are just one health care crisis away from fi nancial hardship. To make improvements that help people to live better, healthy and happier lives, we have to change the way we approach health care delivery, especially for those facing the greatest barriers to care." A separate report compiled by the Muskie School of Public Service's Maine Rural Health Research Center, which was presented Nov. 10 at the foundation's daylong conference in Bangor focusing on rural health initiatives, adds geography as another factor impacting Mainers' health. The statewide profi le of rural health is based on data from 2012-14 and includes an 18-page statewide summary along with individual reports for each of Maine's 16 counties. Factors contributing to rural Maine's poorer health metrics include: A higher concentration of older residents, lower incomes and education, unhealthy habits, geographic and fi nancial barriers to accessing health care services, including reduced access to employer-sponsored health insurance. Among the fi ndings: ¡ More than one in fi ve residents of Piscataquis, Washington and Aroostook counties are living with a disability, the highest percentages in the state ¡ Maine's rural residents are more likely to report multiple chronic conditions ¡ The prevalence of diabetes is higher in rural Maine ¡ Maine's rural residents are less likely to report they are receiving treatment for mental health, despite reporting rates of depression comparable to their urban counterparts ¡ Residents of Piscataquis, Aroostook and Androscoggin counties rank among the most likely to report they had a check-up in the past year, while residents of Knox, Franklin and Waldo counties are the least likely ¡ Washington, Somerset and Penobscot counties rank highest for their residents not having a personal primary care provider ¡ Residents of Hancock, Piscataquis and Washington coun- ties are the least likely to have private or public insurance in Maine. Those counties also have the highest percent- age of uninsured children. Alan Morgan, CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based National Rural Health Association and a keynote speaker at the Bangor conference, said Donald Trump's election as president creates huge uncertainty in health care both in Maine and nationally. "I want to address the elephant in the room right off the bat," he said. "It's the Affordable Care Act. The new president has said on Day 1 he's going to repeal that. We've spent the last 48 hours trying to get a sense of what exactly he means by 'repealing the ACA.'" — B y J a m e s M c C a r t h y P H O T O / M A I N E B I Z S TA F F The focus of a conference hosted by Maine Health Access Foundation on Nov. 10 was how health providers are addressing challenges faced by Maine's rural residents. During the conference, the organization provided attendees with this new report focused on the unique challenges rural health care providers face. 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