Dirigo Health, due to commence in July, is the Legislature’s latest assault on Maine’s economy. It is yet more economic regression cloaked in “affordable health care” attire, which will further reduce our disposable income and shift more power to government. Undoubtedly, it will provide affordable health care to some, but will require money, and lots of it. Consider P.J. O’Rourke’s view: “If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it’s free.”

Among other things, Dirigo challenges hospitals to voluntarily cap price increases at 3.5 percent annually. If, or when, the price cap becomes compulsory, then Maine will have succeeded in doing to health care providers what it has done to health insurers. Expanding bureaucracy is like putting cream in your coffee: if you change your mind, you cannot remove it.

By the way, what cost-control experience does the Legislature have to pass on to the private sector?

The state budget should be a good example. Beginning with the 1976-77 biennial appropriations of $825 million, if we employ Dirigo’s 3.5 percent annual cap, the current biennial budget should be $2.2 billion, which sounds reasonable. If we then add to this figure 20 percent for population growth, $2.6 billion is still reasonable.

Our current two-year budget, however, is $5.3 billion. May I suggest the Maine Legislature practice a spending cap provision on itself before further instructing private institutions on cost control.

I hope you like cream in your coffee.

Gary C. Foster, Gray

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