The question that appeared on petition forms was: "Do you want Maine to provide health insurance through Medicaid for qualified adults under the age of 65 with incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty line?" During the comment period before the question's wording was finalized, several Republican legislators disputed the inclusion of the word "insurance" in the question, arguing that MaineCare benefits are not insurance, but welfare benefits. Those legislators opined that the question did not meet the Maine Constitution's requirement that referendum questions be "simple, clear, concise, and direct". They further noted that the word "insurance" did not appear in the proposed referendum itself. Supporters defended the use of the word "insurance" on the grounds that MaineCare does not provide cash to recipients, but directly pays providers of medical services. At the end of the comment period, Secretary Dunlap announced that the final wording of the question would replace the word "insurance" with "coverage". Representatives of both sides of the issue announced their support of the decision.
