I want to thank the Sun Journal for its comprehensive report on Maine’s state health plan (Nov. 8). I appreciate the coverage and getting the word out about the public hearings that will be held later this month. However, I would like to correct one point in the otherwise excellent article. As we engage the public in our effort to make Maine the healthiest state, it is critical that we begin to redirect finances and invest in prevention. To that end, we have created a priority system for certificates of need – the requirement for state approval before investing significant new resources in building facilities or initiating new programs.

It is our belief that any institution that has the kind of resources available to spend on new buildings and machines could dedicate 1 percent of that investment to invest in public health. Facilities that do so will get priority in certificate of need reviews.

The Sun Journal article suggests that this is a mandatory fee, which is not the case. Rather, we have created an incentive program for allocating a portion of dollars available for capital equipment and new buildings to be dedicated to prevention and public health.

Thanks for the opportunity to clarify. We look forward to public discussions as we conduct our hearings statewide.

Trish Riley, director,

Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance, Augusta

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