State Sen. John Patrick, D-Rumford, in his guest column May 22, suggested that state Sen. Lois Snowe-Mello has worked to boost corporate profits instead of serving her constituents.

Even though we’ve come to expect partisan attacks from politicians, it’s still disappointing that the senator from Rumford would twist the facts to scare people instead of really informing them.

A few years ago, my wife and I, a healthy, married couple in our 20s, had to pay almost $300 a month for a minimal private health insurance plan that covered only "catastrophic care." The bill that Snowe-Mello supports allows insurers to charge healthy people lower premiums, and will give more healthy people a reason to enter the risk pool, helping keep everyone’s premiums low.

Patrick then cynically criticized new reforms for offering subsidized reinsurance to help those with the worst health problems, although he supports Dirigo — a more expensive and less targeted form of state aid.

He wrote to give red-meat for a political fight, not to fairly inform readers about health care policy.

I am glad Snowe-Mello is pushing for a new direction in Augusta, working to solve problems and fighting for Maine families.

Dana Coffin, Auburn