Health News: In Maine, Two Pages For Health Step Up Contest Senate Votes
The rally for Senator Olympia Snowe J. S district office last week were small, but sincere: Locals describe a handful of health insurance nightmares, and calls for a large-scale change quickly.
“The health care reform can not wait another day,” said the Rev. Dorothy Matson, who brought two communities Methodists, and stated that the uninsured and underserved in this remote corner of northern Maine, More and more churches for help. “People are desperate now.”
Across the country, a group of activists on both sides of the debate of Health is strengthening its campaign last week, while members of Congress were home for the Fourth of July break. Here in Maine, where Ms. Snowe and Senator Susan Collins, a Republican moderate, which could become an important support to the Democratic health care plan is expected in the coming weeks, efforts to reign in their vote — and scan the citizen in the debate – was tense.
Almost in the island, Ms. Matson and others, the International Union of employees, dozens of handwritten letters to the office of Mr. Snow. The European Union is campaigning for the so-called alternative government – public insurance, such as disease, but are open to a larger number of people who are in competition with private companies.
In Portland and Augusta Health Care for America Now coalition of liberal groups organized a large rally protesting against the offers and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, the largest private insurer in the country. At Auburn, a conservative group adjourned for lunch, business people, government intervention in health insurance will have devastating consequences.
In an interview, Ms. Collins and Mr. Snow said that his electorate is much more focused discussion in the last month, but sharply divided on this issue.
“There is virtual unanimity that the cost is a serious problem, and that access to health care is a big problem,” said Collins, who expressed reservations about the audience and the occasion of their colleagues in Congress not to rush to pass laws. “But there is no agreement on what should be done.”
While Maine has only 1.3 million inhabitants, the problems of insurance of all people are complex. The state has large rural, poor and elderly with health needs. It has many small businesses and seasonal workers, and few employers large enough to provide employees with insurance. However, most insurance companies are not profitable to sell coverage, so that some companies that dominate the market.
“So many people are in the price of private market,” said Lisa McSwain, who is held in the Tower of Edgecombe restoration. “In my community, where so many people are not for rent, all want the government option.”
Stavros Mendros, a consultant from Lewiston, was also involved, insurance companies, but his solution is to avoid risks and get coverage. Mr. Mendros said that when her 4-year-old daughter has recently been ill, he took her to the hospital, paid U.S. $ 1200 bill, which he said is less than a month, insurance premium for his family is.
“Not with me! Boat insurance save money, “he said.” My biggest risk in taking care of public health, the waiting list. My daughter does not have to wait. I prefer the law that the dead girl. ”
Ms. Snowe was the only Senate Republican to have a public version, and most of the marketing year basis, in Maine should strengthen its support. In addition, the Senate Finance Committee, one of the two trays in the formulation of legislation on health. Liberals, hundreds of residents of Maine, to write letters to them, often at home, they have around the state.
“She listens very difficult, there is the opening to her, and he is the stronger player,” said McSwain, in possession of that party. “So I feel as if we were his goal, Collins may must going to go. ”
Keith Brown, who owns a small design office in Washburn, and took part in a rally in Presque Isle, said he wrote, Ms. Snowe urged not to, a more flexible version public.
“Normally, I would not bother to focus on something like this,” said Brown, who said he paid about $ 15,000 per year in premiums and deductible. “My fear is that even if the option is public, it will be replaced at the place where they will be people like me who try to live like that.”
Ms. Snowe said she had heard from many voters who want the public version, but also many on the role of government and costs. It remains concerned, she spoke of the possibility of “unintended consequences” of the private insurance industry, Congress allowed the collapse of the option if the public.
“People want to solve this problem, but also the right questions,” she says. “Regardless of whether the government will impose a decision on health insurance is clearly a problem. They want that we do not lack in the way that poses a threat, that their well-being.”
Mike Marcotte, an accountant in Lewiston, which is assured by their employer, the right to Ms. Snowe and Ms. Collins to vote against any proposal that the public version.
“We must vote in favor of free enterprise,” said Marcotte. “Less government is better.”
Marcotte, for lunch in Auburn in Maine Heritage Policy Center of conservative groups, whose leaders, Tarres R. Bragdon, told a few dozen participants, that the Democrats represent “a significant seizure of government doctors, nurses, hospitals, health – insurance and the entire health care system.
As the head against the democratic regime in the Isle of Man, Mr. Bragdon has highlighted the failures of the state’s experience with universal health care, a law enacted in 2003 for all residents of the state on the 130,000 uninsured in the year. The plan currently covers only a small part of the objective, in part because the government has limited application, because the financial problems.
But supporters of the Democratic plan that the lessons of the Maine legislation, and Congress can help avoid the mistakes that the federal government has not explained, he must take the task of all.
“You can not solve this problem, the State, the State,” said Bonnie Roberts, one of Bangor Optometric technicians, adding that they fear that not enough people in the debate and pressure on Ms. Collins and Mr. Snow.
Mr. Brown echoed that, saying that people are insured through their employers or public programs like Medicaid, over two thirds of the population of Maine, are less inclined to speak.
“This has no impact on them, as they relate to us,” he said. “I’m in this, but I’m pessimistic, because it turned into.”