The volume of misinformation concerning health insurance high-risk pools is phenomenal.

High-risk pools work. That is why most states now have them. They lower the cost for everyone and insure access to health care for those with the very worst health conditions.

Maine did experiment with one once. Officials chose to fund it through the general fund, instead of through the insurer, which is the way all of these insurance mechanisms are now funded. When times got tough, as they often do in Maine government, funding for the pool was cut off. The experiment ended.

Letter writers such as Susan Pelletier (Dec. 4) know this, yet continue to perpetuate the notion that the policy failed. It didn’t fail. It was working and working well and the plug on the program was pulled in order to balance another irresponsible budget.

Two years ago, the federal government, with bipartisan legislation, agreed to fund up to $1 million to any state wishing to start a high-risk pool. Democrat and Republican congressmen came together on this bill because high-risk pools work, and continue to lower premiums and insure more people in all the states that have them.

Sadly, in Maine it is a partisan issue. One side will continue to state the facts about the benefits of high-risk pools. The other side will do all it can to fill people with fear, uncertainty and doubt using cherry-picked statistics, political buzzwords and fictitious anecdotes.

Rep. Jonathan McKane, Newcastle