To the Editor:
I think it was in 1993 when a law was passed that limited our choices of what health care insurance Maine people could buy. Since then the cost of health insurance premiums has steadily gone up. Our state government has regulated health insurance companies to such a degree; most won’t do business with us. Part of what drives costs is competition, or the lack of it.
We can seek out other insurance companies for Life, Homeowners, Automobile, and Elder Care insurance plans from any company you want. However, we may not purchase health insurance the same way. Why does our state government continue to regulate this to such an extreme? Why do they continue to tax health care services? For perspective, New Hampshire’s premiums are roughly half what they are here.
Legislation to address all of these Maine State government created problems has been offered time and again. It is always voted down by the majority party. So, it’s not surprising that Waldoboro’s healthcare coverage is so expensive. The solution will not come from more regulations, mandates, taxes, fees or fines. It most certainly won’t be found by passing HR 676. That’s the bill before Congress that proposes to expand Medicare for everyone.
Medicare has been so badly run, the F.B.I. has had to hire over 100 new agents just to investigate all the new cases of waste, fraud and abuse. Sec. 104 of HR 676 seeks to prevent citizens from buying private health insurance. This has been the problem for Canada’s single payer system. That prohibition was overturned in 2005 by the Canadian Supreme Court because of the failures and shortcomings of their health care system.
My understanding is that the U.S. Federal government put up laws that prohibit us from purchasing health insurance from other states. These laws need to be removed, or perhaps New England could form a region wide compact, that would allow Mainer’s to shop for health insurance in other states like New Hampshire. Odds are this would lower costs for the individual and group market as well as for workers comp.
Henry Simmons, Nobleboro
