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.

Latest

Published
June 4, 2017

Maine would be among first states to impose work requirements, premiums on Medicaid recipients

The LePage administration proposal would be among the first to test how the Trump administration will run the Medicaid program.
Published
May 25, 2017

Republican health plan would leave nearly 117,000 fewer Mainers insured, report says

The estimate by a left-leaning think tank is based on an analysis of the CBO report on the impact of the House-passed ACA replacement plan.
Published
May 24, 2017

Welfare reformer Mary Mayhew leaving as commissioner of Maine DHHS

Gov. LePage praises the commissioner, who helped shrink the rolls of social programs and stabilize the agency’s finances, but also was at the center of controversies.
Published
May 23, 2017

Trump’s budget ax may fall on thousands of vulnerable Mainers

Advocates worry that cuts in his spending plan would hurt benefits for children, low-income seniors, the disabled, the poor and more.
Published
May 22, 2017

Community Health Options, Maine’s ACA insurer, reports a surplus

The seller of ACA individual insurance was $3.7 million in the black for the first quarter after two years of big losses.
Published
May 19, 2017

Sen. Collins predicts Senate Republicans’ health care plan will be too partisan to succeed

While a 13-man committee is drafting a bill, Collins says she is continuing to work with others on a centrist proposal.
Published
May 17, 2017

MaineCare recipients tell DHHS at hearing that payment, work requirements could harm them

The state seeks a federal waiver to charge premiums and require jobs or volunteerism for able-bodied program beneficiaries.
Published
May 16, 2017

Sens. Collins, King, criticize Trump for sharing classified information with Russian diplomats

Collins offers a sharp rebuke of the president’s actions, saying ‘The Russian leaders are not our friends.’
Published
May 14, 2017

MaineCare threatened under Republican health care plan

If the House Republicans’ ACA replacement manages to gut the program, Maine beneficiaries worry about losing a health-care lifeline.
Published
May 9, 2017

Maine Med may change location of new $70 million parking garage

Hospital officials said they want to address neighbors’ concerns about the 13-story garage planned as part of the Portland hospital’s expansion.