June 30, 2012

Another View: Maine had already moved forward in health insurance

Misinformation and misleading statements about reform need to be corrected.

By Wayne Parry

In the column last Sunday by Rep. Linda Sanborn, D-Gorham, and Sharon Treat, D-Hallowell, "Care reform's future not in court's hands," there was some misinformation and misleading statements.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wayne Parry, a Republican, is state representative for Arundel.

First, the column implied that insurance companies in Maine can revoke insurance after you get sick. That is false. Insurers have not been able to drop coverage for anything other than nonpayment since the 1990s when Maine enacted guaranteed issue and guaranteed renewability.

It also raves about the Affordability Care Act (ACA) requiring insurers to cover children of insured parents up to age 26. Wow. In Maine, we have had this requirement up to age 25 since 2007. If this additional one year is really such a big deal perhaps we should go to 27. Bigger wow.

And it implies that the ACA will make health care more affordable. Not according to Maine's own bureau of insurance, who have estimated a 38 percent increase in premiums in the individual market with the implementation of the ACA, in addition to the bureaucracy taxes needed to pay for this monstrous program.

Maine has already taken the necessary steps to bring reality back to our health insurance markets with the Republican-led health insurance reforms recently enacted. Anthem's latest rate increase proposal of 1.7 percent – the lowest rate request ever – is proof. The most stated problem by liberals with Public Law 90 is the rating bands, which they say will cost some groups more. The proper way to look at it is now insurance companies can charge young people less.

I wonder how many people know the 3-1 rating bands that are in PL 90 are also in Obamacare.

It is important to tell the truth about Obamacare and the reforms that Maine has made recently. A doctor and a lawyer should know better.

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