Advocate for Maine's Aging Demographic Joins TideSmart Talk with Stevoe

FALMOUTH, Maine, Feb. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In an interview this week with TideSmart Talk with Stevoe, a weekly radio show that takes a macro approach towards society and culture, host Steve Woods welcomed AARP Maine State President Rich Livingston to the studio.  Nearly two-thirds of Maine's population over the age of 50 are members of AARP.

The show will air Saturday, February 8^th from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on News Talk WLOB 1310AM and will be live streamed at http://www.wlobradio.com.  A podcast will be made available via iTunes and at http://www.tidesmartradio.com. 

In the show's second hour, Rich Livingston, Maine State President of AARP visited the studio to discuss important legislative issues facing Maine's aging demographic, such as social security, and healthcare, including Medicare and MaineCare.  Livingston said these issues affect us all because "You're either 50 years or older, or aspire to be one day," Livingston said. 

"It is a life or death issue," said Woods, who is also President/CEO of Tidesmart Global.  "Without an effective healthcare system, in this case the Affordable Care Act and MaineCare, and without the expansion, people will die."  Livingston added that in accepting the expansion to MaineCare, "how many lives will be saved?  One, a dozen, 100, 1,000?"  Woods emphatically agreed, "Whatever the number is, if it's one, it's worth doing," he said.

Woods and Livingston also discussed how Maine Governor Paul LePage mentioned welfare during the recent State of the State in regards to the expansion of MaineCare and relative to providing health and wellness services.  In Woods' opinion, "it's personally insulting, I don't look at it as welfare, I look at it as we've got to be better than that. "  Livingston stated that, "This is not about welfare, it's about healthcare.  Healthcare and welfare are two entirely separate, unconnected notions."

The two talked about how that the absence of access to wellness and preventative care raises healthcare costs.  Woods stated that, "Prevention is much more cost effective than treatment.  Evidence shows that every dollar spent in preventative care can save up to five dollars in treatment, so economically it makes sense."  Livingston added that it makes even more economic sense because, "Healthcare is Maine's biggest private sector industry, and accepting the new federal funding will be an $800 million a year boost to the Maine economy, as well as protecting the health of the people who already live here."

Since launching TideSmart Talk with Stevoe more than one year ago, Woods has hosted more than 100 high-profile guests including famed attorney F. Lee Bailey, President of Bates College Clayton Spencer, two-term Maine Governor John Baldacci, President of the University of Maine Paul Ferguson, U.S. Senator Angus King, longtime Maine broadcast journalist Bill Green, U.S. Congressman Mike Michaud, Portland Mayor Michael Brennan, Maine Senate President Justin Alfond and former congressman Tom Allen.

SOURCE TideSmart