Letters
Fight isn't over
I sincerely thank U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud for his courageous vote in favor of health care reform. His vote helps strengthen Medicare for seniors, addresses the gap in which I, and millions of other 50- to 65-year-olds find ourselves, and provides affordable new health care options.
I know this was not a simple choice and that he spent countless hours deliberating. I was pleased to have an opportunity to share my own story with him. I have been volunteering with AARP Maine in an effort to pass health care reform, and I know organization officials are very pleased with his support.
The House plan protects Medicare, reduces out-of-pocket drug costs by closing the "doughnut hole," allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices, and covers some preventive care. It stops insurance companies from denying coverage due to age or health, and limits how much they can make people pay out-of-pocket. For those who have no insurance or cannot afford it, there are meaningful new options. It will be easier for senior citizens to stay in their own homes and communities.
The legislation addresses the specifics that AARP officials have been concerned about, and will provide new protections, not just for seniors, but for those who will become seniors.
While I'm pleased to see this important step forward, I know the fight isn't over. AARP officials are going to keep working with all of Maine's delegation to ensure any final health care reform bill meets the needs of older Americans.
Richard Livingston, Auburn
Advertisement
Displaying comments, from newest to oldest
How is it courageous to vote
How is it courageous to vote the party line without having even read the bill. Courage would be proposing that the vote be delayed until all members had the chance to read and comprehend the laws they were attempting to enact. Cowards hide behind the easy thing to do, like Michaud and Pingree did.
"Reasoning with a liberal is like trying to pick up a turd by the clean end. " Pirate
verified You've had ninety years to
You've had ninety years to read and do something about health care. Even you can 't be that slow, can ya?
This bill does nothing to
This bill does nothing to control health care costs. Does it make sense that a primary care provider charges $320 for a 3 min office visit for a referal request when the patients blood preasure is not even taken? Does it make sense that the patient ends up making three of these $320 visits, a trip to the emergency room, then changes primary care doctors for a 4th $320 charge before they get the necessary referal? The emergency room physician, new primary care and specialist were all appalled that this condition was made to drag on with the patient suffering for no other reason than to line the original primary cares pockets. The fees these providers are charging are obscene and not addressed in the legislation.
verified Arse69 asks why we should
Arse69 asks why we should hand over this much control over to the Government?
He somehow knows the insurance companies and their corporate greed have our best interests much more to heart.
------------------------------------------
When I was a young Sailor - I drank like a Sailor, fought like a Sailor, and screwed like a Sailor. Now that I am old and wise - I have a few scars, but many fond memories.
The more Americans
The more Americans understand the Democratic parties health bills, the more they don't like them. Mike Michaud is not representing the majority of Mainers when he voted for that bill. All the AARP cares about is money, not its members interest. Why in the world would we hand over this much control of our lives to the Government? These politicians only care about power and control. If they really cared about reforming health care, they would consider some of the proposals by the Republicans. They are to beholding to trial lawyers to tackle one the biggest contributors to rising health care cost. They don't want real choice of purchasing health care across state lines. Everyone cares about shady practices of insurance companies. These issues can be resolved if they really wanted to approch reform in a bipartisan way. Our Government can't run anything effeciently. What makes anyone really think that they will run health care any differently?
Advertisement
Advertisement
Most Popular Today
verified on "School choice, public funding for religious institutions headline LePage education plan"
Bad teachers
Just so you know bad teachers get fired all the time and put on probation in the public schools. At least they did where I worked. The only thing the union did was guarantee you a hearing and a representative if you were tenured. The untenured teachers are simply not rehired at the end of the year and no reason is given. However, as in other professions the better teachers and more highly trained teachers tend to go where they will be better paid. You can fire the bad teacher but if your salary is not competitive the next one you hire probably won't be much better. Unions are constantly advocating for better training for teachers and to allow people to collect both Social security and the state pension. As it is now, someone who worked for many years under Social Security who decides to become a teacher has to forfeit one of the pensions. There are many scientists and engineers, and technology workers who would love to come to teaching near the end of their careers but don't because of this. No one has more to gain by improving academic standards than the teachers or their unions.
verified on "Car rolls over on Ash Street in Lewiston"
Accident on Ash Street
I'm glad she's okay. What a Lady. She has to have 9 Lives!
For someone in a wreck like she was, she sure seemed very calm. I would have been flipping out or very upset.
verified on "School choice, public funding for religious institutions headline LePage education plan"
Cute
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. Public schools routinely educate students successfully and send them off to college. If you don't believe me check on the local seniors this spring and see how many there are who are going on. And our local schools do not even meet the NCLB goals! The thing is while public schools have no problem educating students who come to them from stable homes with parents who care about their child's education, their mandate is to educate EVERYBODY. That includes the learning disabled,physically disabled, the homeless, the emotionally disturbed,the language impaired, the unmotivated, the criminals, even those that are absent most of the time. Even with all that, the majority of students are achieving what they need to. Those that are not mostly reflect society's problems which end up dumped into the lap of the public schools. Private schools do not compare any better. Some are excellent and some are awful. Like the public schools. The difference is there is a lot less accountability in the private schools and most of them offer a very narrow curriculum and range of services.
In order to make comments, you must verify your account.
In order to comment on SunJournal.com, you must use your real name and include the town in which you live in your profile. A member of our staff will call you to verify this information. To join in, fill out your user profile completely and check the box "please verify my status." We'll get back to you within one business day to verify your account.
Login or create an account here.
Our policy prohibits comments that are:
- Defamatory, abusive, obscene, racist, or otherwise hateful
- Excessively foul and/or vulgar
- Inappropriately sexual
- Baseless personal attacks or otherwise threatening
- Contain illegal material, or material that infringes on the rights of others
- Commercial postings attempting to sell a product/item
If you violate this policy, your comment will be removed and your account may be banned.