The problem of unjust health insurance rates does not discriminate along party lines. As Mainers struggle with unemployment and stagnant wages, Anthem’s proposed rate increases would add to the economic burdens of Republicans and Democrats alike. The numbers simply do not add up for consumers.

After having its application for an 18 percent rate increase rejected by the State Insurance Commission last year, Anthem sued the taxpayers of Maine, insisting that it had been discriminated against, and that it should be guaranteed a 3 percent profit on each plan it offers. For a corporation that controls 78 percent of the Maine marketplace to claim that it has been discriminated against and should have a guaranteed profit margin is ludicrous. What business, in the middle of a recession, can expect such a guarantee?

In 2007, WellPoint, Anthem’s parent company, declared a $3.35 billion profit — that’s more than a 300 percent increase from 2003 to 2007 (source: The Northwest Federation of Community Organizations). While Mainers are tightening their belts and facing the worst of this economic recession, Anthem continues to demand more from its policyholders without increasing the quality of its product. An analysis prepared for the Maine Bureau of Insurance stated that 72 percent of individuals who have their own policies through Anthem encounter a deductible of $5,000 or more before Anthem even steps in.

How can Anthem insist that Mainers pay more and more during such hard times? Allowing Anthem its intended rate increase strikes me as unacceptable.

Claire Mehling, Greene