When this column goes to print, the fate of LD 1333 will have been decided in some way or another. As it stands at this point, Republicans have the votes in the Senate to pass this necessary and monumental health insurance reform. This means that as of May 16, 2011 Mainers should be able to buy a health insurance policy customized to their needs instead of a one-size fits all plan. A male in the state of Maine will no longer be required to carry maternity leave and, I have to say, I’m positively giddy about that. Men will no longer have to deal with the emotional frustration of facing those insurmountable obstacles to qualify in order to utilize this portion of their health plan. Happy days are here again!
This is in no way a done deal. The weak-kneed moderate wing of the Republican Party has a tendency to run cowering into the corner every time the Democrats throw a temper tantrum. May 17, 2011 will give an interesting revelation to the ability of leadership to lead.
The Democrats have been entertaining, to say the least. This columnist has read with interest the many…well…lies that the left has been spewing out through the media. It’s ironic that LD 1333 was modeled after legislation put forth by a Democrat, but since it’s Republican now, to the Party of “No”, it can’t be good. They have offered some compelling arguments, none of which are grounded in fact, but who needs facts when you have the Maine media. This columnist has stated on many occasions that the major plank on the Democrat’s platform is lies, deceit and diversion. After the latest behavior of the Party whose symbol is an ass, I stand corrected. Lies, deceit and diversion are not merely a plank; it is their whole support system. So here are the support beams.
Lie #1: This law would deny coverage to cancer survivors due to “pre-existing conditions”.
Fact: LD 1333 clearly forbids insurance carriers from denying coverage.
Lie #2: It will force cancer survivors to pay higher rates for health insurance.
Fact: LD 1333 is based on strategies from other States that have already proven to lower costs for every one including the sick or elderly. This law maintains current Maine law, which forbids different premiums based on health.
Lie #3: Requires patients in rural areas to seek care in urban areas.
Fact: Remember, Rule 850, this law simply removes constraints and allows patients to choose where they want to receive care. This gives Mainers an opportunity to lower care costs. There are no geographical mandates in LD 1333.
Lie #4: more uninsured cancer survivors
Fact: By lowering premiums, more people can afford their own healthcare plans. It is called simple math.
Lie #5: less access to cancer treatment
Fact: The removal of geographical restrictions and lowering the premiums means more access….that….is ….simple math again.
Lie #6: unreasonable rates for health insurance
Fact: This legislation is based upon the Idaho model. In a comparison of the same health plan, a 40-year-old Maine man pays almost $900 while an Idaho male pays just over $200. By the Maine Bureau of Insurance’s own analysis, this plan will result in a reduction of premiums across the board. Did I mention simple math?
The greater question that remains is this; how is it that such blatant lies can be foisted upon the residents of this great State without question or encumbrance to their validity? Is it because the media of Maine, which purports to be a fact-finding entity, is merely a propaganda puppet for leftist agendas? These questions must be answered and addressed if there is to be any hope of a brighter future for Mainers.
The Maine Conservative Voice 
GREAT JOB DISPELLING THE MYTHS NOW HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS FROM TODAY :0) ENJOY!!!________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information:
May 16, 2011
Legislature passes landmark bill to reform health insurance market
AUGUSTA – The Maine Senate passed landmark legislation today to revamp Maine’s health insurance market. The measure, LD 1333, is designed to generate more competition and more choices and bring rates closer to national norms. It also sets up a Guaranteed Access Plan to make sure Mainers with pre-existing conditions can obtain affordable insurance and cannot be denied coverage.
On May 13, the House voted 78 to 68 for final passage. The Senate voted 24 to 10. The vote was bipartisan in both chambers, with two Democrats voting with the Republican majority in the House and three Democrats and one unenrolled member joining majority Republicans in the Senate.
House Speaker Robert Nutting hailed final passage as a major achievement. “For years, Maine has suffered from a broken health insurance system,” he said. “Costs are so high that 130,000 people can’t afford to buy coverage. Employers and families with coverage are at the breaking point. Failure to act would have been irresponsible. This plan is based on proven systems in dozens of other states where rates are lower – sometimes dramatically lower. To get our economy growing again and create jobs, we need an insurance system that Mainers can afford.”
Senate President Kevin L. Raye (R-Perry) said final enactment represents an important victory for the people of Maine in the long battle against skyrocketing insurance premiums. “The status quo has resulted in too many Mainers losing insurance coverage and thousands of others threatened with that loss,” he said. “The bill we sent to the Governor today offers hope by injecting competition and choice into the system. It also protects rural residents and those with pre-existing conditions, as well as creating a new Guaranteed Access Plan to cover costs for those with chronic illnesses.
“Despite the appalling scare tactics and misrepresentations by those who sought to derail needed reforms, today’s vote was a bipartisan one that reflects a good faith effort to clarify and strengthen this bill as we seek to bring relief and wider coverage to Maine people,” he added.
Rep. Wes Richardson (R-Warren), the sponsor of the bill, said the Guaranteed Access Plan is a reinsurance program modeled on a successful version in Idaho, a state with demographics similar to Maine’s. “The chronically ill and individuals with pre-existing conditions will choose from the same insurance plans as everyone else,” he said. To make sure their premiums remain affordable, the state will provide subsidies from the reinsurance fund, to be financed by a monthly assessment of $4 on all privately insured Mainers.
“With this reform package in place, insurance carriers will be able to offer a more diverse array of insurance products to fit a variety of personal and business budgets,” said Rep. Richardson, the House chair of the Insurance and Financial Services Committee. “Increased competition and more affordability in coverage options will enable young and healthy people to buy insurance policies, thereby expanding the pool and lowering costs across the board.”
The initiative also allows individuals to purchase health insurance from companies licensed in other states. Specifically, it permits carriers authorized to sell insurance in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island to offer their individual policies for sale in Maine starting in 2014. Mainers have repeatedly voiced strong support for opening insurance markets across state lines. Rates elsewhere, such as in New Hampshire, are significantly lower than in Maine.
On the business side, companies with fewer than 50 employees would be allowed to band together to create larger insurance pools to obtain better rates. For companies with 20 or fewer employees, the plan also provides a tax credit if they maintain wellness programs. The credit would range from $100 per employee to a maximum of $2,000.
“Currently, the high cost of health insurance is a factor that dissuades new businesses from locating in Maine,” said Sen. Rodney Whittemore (R-Somerset), Senate chair of the Insurance and Financial Services Committee and a co-sponsor of the legislation. “By allowing businesses to band together, they will be able to provide employees with health insurance at a lower cost. Ultimately, these reforms will make Maine a more attractive place for both new and existing businesses and will be a boost for job creation.”
The plan has been crafted to mesh with the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the event the law survives court challenges. If the ACA is struck down, the new plan provides a structure that lowers costs, expands choices and moves Maine into the American mainstream. In short, the initiative creates certainty for Mainers regardless of the fate of the federal health care reform law. ###
Thanks for the comment. Hope to hear from you again. Yes it is great news. Hopefully the Republicans can moving forward instead of spinning their wheels as they have been.
This is an excellent and timely article. Just yesterday I canceled my newspaper subscription because of its blatant lies ,obvious leftward slant, and hate-filled vitriolic posters on the online comments.
Thanks Rose Marie. The hardest challenge to freeing Maine is getting past the media bias. It has a death-like grip on Maine, but it has to be broken somehow if future generations are to have any freedom in Maine.