Donald Simoneau of Lafayette is lucky (Sun Journal Nov. 14). His friends are planning a benefit for him to help pay his hospital bills. The jars I see on counters seem to be what passes for health care these days. That is a disgrace. According to the U.S. Census, a Mainer dies every three days […]
health care
Posted inOur View
Maine should decline to build health exchange
We have had the endless debate. We have had the narrow Supreme Court decision and, now, we have had the election. Looks like ObamaCare is here to stay. Maine Gov. Paul LePage is now faced with the decision he hoped to never make — whether to build a health care exchange or leave it up […]
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Posted inOp-Eds
Before you vote, give ‘The Lie Factory’ a read
If you have time for just one political article before the election, make it “The Lie Factory,” by historian Jill Lepore in the Sept. 24 New Yorker. It concerns a California firm called Campaigns Inc., which Lepore identifies as the very first political consulting firm, founded in 1933 by Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker, two […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Larger hospitals buying smaller ones drives up health-care tab
On Wednesday, regulators at the Department of Health and Human Services will hear a proposal concerning Brunswick’s two hospitals that could set the tone for health care over the next decade in Maine. Central Maine Healthcare is bidding to acquire Parkview hospital in Brunswick, after taking over management of the 55-bed hospital several years ago and covering its losses. Mid […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
Maine businesses decry health care overhaul
BOOTHBAY (AP) — A group of small business owners in Maine’s mid-coastal area say they want the health care insurance overhaul bill that was passed by the Legislature last year to be repealed. Members of the Maine Small Business Coalition plan a news conference Thursday in Boothbay. They say the Republican-backed overhaul law has caused […]
Posted inOur View
OUR VIEW: Access to care determined by income and race
The latest compilation of U.S. Census figures confirms the embarrassing truth about our health care system, that the poorest and sickest often get the least basic care like checkups and dental exams. The findings come from a report titled Health Status, Health Insurance and Medical Services Utilization: 2010. The good news is that two thirds of […]
Posted inOpinion, sj-web
OPINION: Flaws that will unravel Obama’s health plan
The debate over President Barack Obama’s health-care law has taken another twist. Now conservatives and libertarians are defending it, while the administration tries to toss part of the legislation out. The reason for this role reversal is that the drafters of the law outsmarted themselves and handed their opponents a weapon. Now they would like […]
Posted inLocal & State
Report claims state health insurance reform not working
AUGUSTA — A Republican-backed state law aimed at lowering health insurance premiums in Maine is being panned in a new report by affordable health care advocates. But supporters of the law, especially those who wrote and co-sponsored it in the Maine Legislature, say the law is working but needs to be fully implemented before anyone […]
Posted inLocal & State, sj-web
USM grad diagnosed with lymphoma, faces both student debt and health care crises
PORTLAND, Maine — As much as he prefers to focus on other things — his faith in God, appreciating the beauty in everyday life — Matthew Nelson finds himself at the confluence of two of the country’s hot button issues. Nelson graduated from the University of Southern Maine in December 2011 with $27,000 in student […]
Posted inLetters
R. Caron: Beware Ryan’s agenda
When John McCain (who was not a Republican favorite candidate) made his bold move by taking Sarah Palin as his running mate, Palin came out blazing like the wildfire now burning on the West Coast. She ended up destroying their chances for the White House. Mitt Romney also made a bold move by choosing Rep. […]