Letters
Changes in Dirigo Health
We may not turn your jeers to cheers (editorial, Feb. 27), but your readers need to know of some important changes in Dirigo Health.
Last year the Legislature changed how Dirigo is financed, ending years of controversy. As a result, DirigoChoice, which is now closed to all individuals, will re-open to them in August. That’s especially good news to the thousands of people on the program’s waiting list.
We recently won a competition securing $8.5 million a year in federal funding for up to five years. With those funds, Dirigo is restructuring. In April, Dirigo will open a health insurance exchange, providing vouchers so some eligible low-wage, part-time workers in large firms can purchase their employer’s health plan. The vouchers pay for any eligible plan through any insurance company.
The Bureau of Insurance recently reported that Dirigo has created important competition in Maine’s insurance marketplace through its partnership with the nonprofit, top-ranked Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. This year small-business insurance premiums grew by 21 percent. While costs are still too high, the DirigoChoice rate increase was substantially smaller, at 8.4 percent. Importantly, small businesses and sole proprietors can buy DirigoChoice today. While new employee subsidies are unavailable until August, small businesses in Maine are finding DirigoChoice to be an affordable option.
You are correct that Dirigo has not met its aspirations to cover all of the uninsured, but your readers need to know why. The compromise that won bipartisan support for Dirigo in 2003 also resulted in a significant reduction in funding and cost containment tools that were part of the original bill. With far fewer dollars, we of course could only serve some of our original target.
That said, in 2003, Maine ranked 19th among the states in rates of uninsured; today we are 6th best.
Trish Riley, Augusta, director
Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance
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Dirigo
Dirigo Health
Same lies. were told to us to get this to pass as are bing told now for Obozocare. Ist of all the 8.5mil you "won" from the federal govt. Is still my tax money. You are taking it from me and giving it to whomever you want. You haven't paid your hospital bills that are past due. You are not paying the school bills. When will yo people quit with this? I am damn sick of it. If only the rest of the people in the US knew how bad this whole program is maybe they wouldn't allow Obummercare to pass. Why don't you let a few more insurance companies into Maine to bid on our healthcare instead of regulating them out.
People who want public
People who want public healthcare, go figure.... Sheeple...... there is no law or right in the constitution that mandates that the Federal or State Government has the responsabilty to provide healthcare. We as Americans are responseable for ourselves, The Insurance companys are private bussniess providing a service, they are not there to operate at a loss,not unlike the Government,who,by the way couldn't run a lemonaide stand and turn a profit, The arguement has been made ad nausem (that means over and over again for you sheeple),Let the free market take over and the cost will come down through compatition,Tort refom (that's get the lawyers out of the picture, sheeple). and STOP letting these people who are border jumpers suck up all the "entitlements". we are a nation of immagrents, but come here the way my family did, the right way, and they all worked and payed thier taxes. I am ashamed of the way that bho and his band of idiots have brought this once great nation down, Can't wait for 2012.
Here's some of the top
Here's some of the top salaries at Dirigo...you don't like it at CMMC, how do you feel about Dirigo milking us all dry. (From maineopengov.org)
here are some of the totals for their compensation packages from 2008:
$158,989;
$149,573;
$141,842;
$141,035;
$103,221;
$92,198;
$89,234;
$56,743
and $50,610.
Someones making money off Dirigo...
verified It's rank, all right.
Trish didn't mention that Maine ranks 1st in premium rates. A significant part of the rate supports Dirigo. (There's that all-for-one bit that is loved so much by some of the denizens here.) Dirigo's enrollment is closed and shrinking. So where does the money go, Trish? You're getting more to subsidize fewer, but you wouldn't get more if the private companies didn't raise rates. Answer: down the Augusta rat-hole.
Dirigo does not have insufficient funding, it has insufficient competence - as does the rest of state government. And this is the model for Obama-care.
Yes Veritas. The changes mean
Yes Veritas. The changes mean nothing if the state can't afford to pay for it, which we can't. The state owes how many millions to the hospitals and it wants to open it to add more people? There is, as you know, a state law to pay 55% of school funds and it doesn't even do that. And I didn't need a graduate degree in economics to figure it out. Maybe, instead of this monsterous heathcare bill we should start with letting us buy heath insurance across state lines. Start small and see what the changes amount to and that wouldn't cost anyone a dime.
verified Scott - You went from
Scott -
You went from alleging Dirigo was "a failure and a waste of money" to discussing state school spending and the federal health care bill without even elaborating on Dirigo as I asked.
If you can't hold sway with facts, figures, and references - but simply go off on tangents - then you're as bad as the government practices which you allege.
"The changes mean nothing if
"The changes mean nothing if the state can't afford to pay for it, which we can't. The state owes how many millions to the hospitals and it wants to open it to add more people?" What more do you want? We can't afford it. Unless you come up with references, facts, or anything else that indicates the hospitals aren't owed millions due to this program I'll not remove my post.
Dirigo is a failure and a
Dirigo is a failure and a waste of money. It must be scrapped now.
verified Scott - care to
Scott - care to elaborate??
Trish Riley did.
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