The editorial in the Lewiston Sun Journal (April 12) concerning the extremely large bonus received by the CEO of Anthem should enlighten readers concerning the necessity of tort reform that legislators and this newspaper have been pushing.

People are quick to blame trial attorneys for the increasing costs of insurance. Frivolous litigation, they claim, causes insurance companies to pay out money that should not be paid and leads to higher premiums and deductibles for everyone else.

As the large bonus to Anthem’s CEO proves, this argument is nothing more than rhetoric perpetrated by the insurance companies in pursuit of self-serving legislation to limit recovery for those who have been wrongly injured so that company executives can receive even higher bonuses.

It is not that I believe that a hardworking CEO should not receive just compensation for his or her efforts. Rather my point is simply that if trial lawyers are doing so much damage to the insurance industry, why is there over $40 million available to give to one individual?

Just think how much our Anthem rates could have been reduced this year had the company not paid this ridiculous bonus. At approximately $12,000 per year for family coverage with Anthem, over 3,000 Maine families could have been insured this year.

Hopefully, Anthem’s recent actions will enlighten the public and cause individuals to more closely scrutinize the fear tactics and rhetoric perpetrated by insurance companies, our legislators and the media concerning the blame for rising insurance costs.

Verne Paradie Jr., Auburn

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