Of all the arguments to make for repealing and replacing Obamacare, the very worst is that people don’t need health insurance. Yet this is a Trump administration talking point. White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters last week, “When we get asked the question, ‘How many people are going to get covered?’ that’s not […]
health insurance
Posted inLetters, sj-web
A significant impact
While most of the discussion on repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) focuses on loss of coverage by 22.5 million people covered through state exchanges and Medicaid expansion, what is not discussed as much is that most other Americans, such as those who have employer-based coverage or Medicare, will also be significantly impacted. For […]
advertisement
Posted inLetters
Effective health insurance
Everyone loses when people cannot afford to get medical care. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and addictions become more expensive to treat when they become chronic and affect other parts of the body. Young or older adults without insurance cannot afford rehabilitative care so they can recover from the effects of a bone […]
Posted inLetters
Have members of Congress pay
I believe that members of the U.S. Congress should be paying for all or part of their health insurance, as many employers are now doing with their employees. That would help reduce the federal budget and maybe then they would come up with a plan that is affordable and good for everyone. Roger Pineau, Dixfield
Posted inMaine
Sen. Angus King again credits insurance with saving his life
As a 29-year-old Senate aide, King beat a dangerous form of skin cancer — malignant melanoma — that was discovered during a routine checkup he may never had found had he lacked insurance. That experience left him with an abiding belief in the importance of health insurance, a commitment that has made him a staunch […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine
Sen. Susan Collins seeks to delay Obamacare’s repeal
Maine’s senior senator joined four Republican colleagues late Monday to hit the brakes on a bid to quickly repeal the Affordable Care Act. In her amendment to the budget reconciliation measure that includes a provision to repeal Obamacare, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins seeks to extend the bill’s timeline to allow GOP leaders to develop an […]
Posted inFranklin, sj-web
Jay supervisor to retire and be rehired at lower salary
JAY — Selectpersons have authorized the town manager to enter into an agreement that will allow Public Works Director John Johnson to retire on Sept. 30, 2017, and be rehired Oct. 1 with less salary and benefits. The decision followed an executive session Monday. Johnson will take an 11.5 percent reduction in salary and benefits […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Health insurance for Mainers fails to meet people’s needs
It wouldn’t be a Maine election season without yet another opinion poll, only this one will still matter long after Nov. 8. That is why we should start paying attention today. According to a recently released national and statewide survey from the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, 42 percent of Maine residents have seen their […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Census report finds fewer Americans without health insurance
WASHINGTON — The proportion of Americans who lack health insurance took a big dip last year, with nearly 9 million people gaining coverage since 2013, according to federal figures announced Wednesday morning. The new figures, from the large annual Census survey that measures American’s well-being in several ways, found that the share of people across […]
Posted inLetters
B. Benoit-Moncure: A better quality of life
As a young, working woman whose income falls in the coverage gap, I struggle to make ends meet and pay for health insurance. I have had my policy cancelled twice because I couldn’t afford to pay the premiums, and that doesn’t count the $40 co-pay. I now cannot afford a visit to my primary care […]