AUGUSTA — The Baby Boomers who drove the nation’s economy for decades are beginning to retire, creating a whole new host of challenges — and opportunities — in Maine, the head of the Maine Development Foundation said Tuesday.

“This tidal wave has started to crash upon the shores of retirement,” Laurie Lachance, foundation president, said to about 160 people at the Aging Advocacy Summit held at the Augusta Civic Center.

With the oldest median age in the country — 42.7 — Maine will be hit hard by the wave of new retirees. Their needs in terms of transportation, health care and housing will put a particular strain on state and federal resources. And at a time when budget cuts to many programs are almost certain in both Augusta and Washington, advocates for Maine’s senior citizens are getting ready for major battles.

“The threats to the senior safety net in Maine are bigger than they’ve ever been,” said Jessica Maurer, executive director of the Maine Association of Area Agencies on Aging.

That’s why the association changed the focus of its annual fall meeting this year to teach members how to lobby lawmakers at both the state and federal level. AARP was a particularly visible presence at the State House earlier this year, busing in red-shirted seniors to lobby against proposed budget cuts.

AARP, the Alzheimer’s Association, Home Care for Maine and others on Tuesday geared up for the new legislative session and learned more about what’s going on with the Supercommittee appointed by Congress to cut $1.2 trillion in federal spending over 10 years. The 12 member committee, evenly divided between the two major political parties, has until Nov. 23 to make a recommendation.

Robert Greenstein, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, told the summit attendees via Skype that the Supercommittee is considering cuts to Medicaid, which provides health insurance for the those with low incomes, and Medicare, health insurance for those 65 and older.

Some of the proposals would shift more of the funding responsibility to the states, while others call for moving more Medicaid eligible citizens onto private health care plans. Another idea is to raise the age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 67. Yet another would shift more of the cost to those in the program.

“What my concern is from my conversations in Washington is I do not believe policymakers in either party understand Medicare seniors can’t afford to pay more,” he said.

At the state level, lobbyists who work on behalf of seniors say they expect to see the return of a proposal first floated earlier this year that would raise the income eligibility level for childless adults on Medicaid in Maine. If the same proposal comes up again as the LePage administration looks for ways to balance the budget, it would mean the elimination of health insurance for an estimated 28,000 Mainers.

Of those, 4,000 are between the ages of 50 and 65, said Chris Hastedt, public policy director for Maine Equal Justice Partners.

She said she’s also concerned that a new budget will need only a majority vote to pass. Earlier this year, Republicans chose to let the deadline expire by which they could pass a majority budget, which meant they needed votes from Democrats to get a spending plan in place.

“In that need to compromise, we had a tremendous advantage,” she said.

But that may not happen this year, partly because the legislative session is shorter and there won’t be as much time for deliberation, she said.

Lachance painted a sobering picture of the state’s demographics that showed by 2030, more than one-quarter of all Mainers will be 65 or older. And while the poverty rate among that age group has dropped from 26 percent in 1970 to 9.5 percent today, more older Mainers are living in rural areas where transportation and health care are more difficult to access.

And, Maine’s roads and bridges are in tough shape.

“If bridges were people in Maine, 44 percent would qualify for AARP benefits,” she said. “The combination of bad roads and older drivers is a terrifying combination.”

But she said senior citizens also contribute to a healthy society with volunteer work, public service and by supporting cultural assets such as theaters.

“People are living longer,” she said. “They are healthier. They have greater financial means. They are active and engaged in the community. Maine needs to engage seniors to survive and thrive.”

Susan Cover — 620-7015

scover@mainetoday.com