In the article “Anthem proposal praised, criticized” (Sept. 10), Anthem leaders pointed out that Central Maine Healthcare encouraged workers to attend the Aug. 29 hearing with the Maine Bureau of Insurance, sending out a special employee newsletter that warned, “It’s about your job!”

Let me correct this mispresentation.

First, the “special letter” referred to was an edition of the Employee Rounds newsletter which comes out on a regular basis, covering a variety of topics.

That newsletter focused on describing actions taken by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield that would, in the future, effectively restrict small businesses and individuals who purchase insurance from Anthem from getting regular health care from anyplace but MaineHealth (Maine Medical Center) and not from Central Maine Medical Center and five other Maine hospitals. These actions are characterized as an effort by Anthem and MaineHealth to monopolize state health care.

Near the end of the two page newsletter, employees are indeed encouraged to “(not) let this injustice continue and … stand together to save our local healthcare and our jobs.”

This seems perfectly reasonable and a far cry from Anthem’s portrayal of the intent of the newsletter as a scare tactic about losing our jobs.

Like most all CMHC employees who attended the Aug. 29 hearing, I was there willingly to make a point. Anthem’s apparent attempt to portray the hundreds who attended as otherwise seems typical of their spin tactics and questionable ethics.

Jeff Christiansen, Gorham