Health care costs
Maine Community Health Options, our primary health-insurance provider in the state, has been proudly publicizing lower premiums for 2015. In a newsletter I just received from MCHO, CEO Kevin Lewis says, “We at Maine Community Health Options lowered our plan premiums by 1 percent from 2014 to 2015.”
This is not the case for all members. My premium for 2015 increased by 5.4 percent over my 2014 premium for the same plan. But that’s not all. The maximum out-of-pocket expense also increased from $6,350 to $6,500. Annually, this results in an increase of 8.4 percent in the dollar amount I spend on premiums, deductibles, copays and other out-of-pocket expenses.
Also, I have not heard MCHO justify its donation of half-a-million dollars to outside agencies when its own website states, “All excess premiums are either returned to the co-op’s members or used to provide higher quality of care.”
My message is this: Consumers and taxpayers, beware. Consider not just premiums but also copays, deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket expenses to determine whether MCHO has lowered or stabilized health care costs for 2015.
Angela Maniak
Northport
Bangor artwork
Concerning the proposed artwork for Kenduskeag Stream in Bangor: I can’t believe this artist was given $1,000 to help with this unwanted art project.
I have tried to have the city of Bangor replace the sewer catch basin in front of my house on Bowdoin Street for more than 20 years. It is technically a storm drain that a few homes’ sewage runs into. I have called every year and finally gave up a couple of years ago. I’ve always been told there is no money available to replace that sewer catch basin.
I am discouraged as a homeowner in Bangor.
Darrell Lyford
Bangor
Taxing choices
Gov. Paul LePage’s proposed tax plan will not work for Maine. The regressive sales tax will be bad for small businesses. It will affect poor and middle-class people disproportionately. The lack of revenue sharing will cause property taxes to rise, again affecting the elderly, the poor and the middle class disproportionately. It will also affect our schools.
If there needs to be increased revenues for the state, the income tax rate for people making over $200,000 should be raised.
Jim Alciere
East Machias
Race issue for LePage
It truly is disappointing to see a former attorney general of Maine seek to make race an issue against Gov. Paul LePage on the issue of distribution of our tax dollars to undocumented immigrants. I reference Jim Tierney’s comment of “I don’t care what color they are,” as reported by Seth Koenig in a Dec. 14 article about a panel discussion in Portland on immigration and economic growth.
I recall no comments on this issue by LePage that referenced color or race. Or maybe the real problem is the BDN wanting to accentuate Tierney’s statement against the governor.
Richard L. Rhoda
Houlton