From the Maine Heritage Policy Center, Tarren Bragdon reports:
Passed in 2003, Maine’s Dirigo Health initiative was lauded as the first state-based universal coverage program this decade. Governor John Baldacci promised that Dirigo Health would (1) provide coverage for all of Maine’s 128,000 uninsured by 2009; (2) not require any new taxes; (3) be paid for by savings created in the health care system in Maine; and (4) reduce health insurance and health care costs for all.
The core element of the Dirigo Health initiative was the DirigoChoice “public option” insurance product – designed by state government, administered by a private insurer, subsidized by state tax dollars, and mainly marketed by state government to Maine small businesses and individuals. What has been the result?
- Dirigo Health has cost taxpayers $155 million over five years in subsidies and administrative costs alone.
- Today, DirigoChoice covers just 3,400 uninsured (less than 3 percent of Maine’s uninsured population).
- Incredibly, the DirigoChoice premiums for sole proprietors and individuals have skyrocketed 74% in 4 years (4 times faster than the Maine State Employees health plan (17%) and 7 times faster than inflation [10%]).
Read the whole report here.
The only surprise is that people still believe politicians' promises. Congress has less than a 20% approval rating at the same time as we continue to allow them to take more of our treasure to expand and fund their failed agenda.
As Jefferson wrote in the Declaration, "… mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."
Obama,
Tell us again how well your health care package will work for us. Will it "work" as "good" as Maine's?
It will be a huge disaster for the American people, who are used to excellent health care.
I think trading in our now excellent health care for a government run program would be like trading in a brand new Cadillac for a battered up, broken down 20 year old Chevrolet.
I can not argue with Gordon M.'s comments. Let's get the blunder-ers out of the hen-house!!
The Maine plan is a portrait of failure. Good intentions are no substitute for performance.
Gee, I wonder if our Congressional Reps and Senators will be willing to opt out of their all encompassing healthcare plan and go into the one they dream up for the general public. Might be a good question to ask them. If they say "no," then maybe what they dream up for us isn't such a good thing.
Ya think????
Nancy, they've already answered that question in the bill itself…if anyone were to read the bill, I'm sure they'd find it. When the question was asked of the president, he changed the subject. Washington is a train wreck…I say No to this Congress and to this administration. This is really scary.
The cost spiral all started with Medicare, and laws requiring hospitals to treat people.
I did ask the Senators & Congressmen in our state that very question. Funny, I did not receive a response from anyone.
It should be mandatory for Congress to forfeit the insurance they now have and enroll in their new program. What's right for the goose is right for the gander–NO exceptions!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone know how many "hits" the Heritage Foundation gets each day?
"We the People" did this to ourselves, especially the ones who did not vote. If any of this train wreck is to be avoided, many more clear thinking erstwhile non-participants must now be called into action by the facts, not the sweet words. Such participation just might overcome all the literal corpses who did vote for the failed rhetoric, as well as those who "participated" for it with mulitple ballot marks in various locations.
IT IS GREAT THAT WE HAVE A SMALL EXPERIMENT TO TEST AN IDEA BEFORE THE WHOLE COUNTRY HAS TO FACE A LARGER DISASTER.ACTUALLY I HAVE THOUGHT FOR SOME TIME THAT ALL NEW LAWS SHOULD APPLY TO ALL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES FOR FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE LAWS ARE MADE TO APPLY TO PRIVATE CITIZENS.IF THE SYSTEM DOES'NT WORK FOR THEM THE LOSSES CAN BE CUT SHORT AND MAYBE THEY WILL THINK TWICE…OR THINK AT ALL.
One thing not mentioned here is that our legislature passed a new tax last year on soda and fruit juice to help pay for this failure. We managed a people's veto last fall so it was never enacted. No new taxes to cover cost, we've all heard that before.
Once again, we need to all write, call, e-mail our congressmen and senators. get on them and stay on them. let them know that their choices will be remembered at the poles. DO NOT LET UP….
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The vast majority of Americans are uninformed in the area of healthcare. They don’t know the average monthly cost of the Medical insurance they get through their employer, for Single or Family coverage ($400 to $600 per month for Single coverage and $1,200 to $1,600 for Family coverage, depending on the scope of coverage provided in the employer’s plan). They don’t know what makes up those costs or what causes these costs to increase from year to year, and don’t really care to know these things. It is easier for the the public to believe that there is this big conspiracy among insurance companies to rip-off the American public. Unfortunately, there are too many pandering politicians who love to jump on that band wagon, blaming the greedy insurance industry.
If the truth be told, it is State and Federal government’s constant interference with the healthcare benefits provided by employers, through insurance companies, that is responsible for these costs and the rate of increase. Every year, State and Federal legislation and regulation require employer sponsored health plans to provide increased benefits and expanded employee and dependent eligibility.
Those in Congress and the Senate proposing national healthcare are forever carping about the inefficiencies, needless paperwork and bureaucracies of health insurance companies, yet these same Congressmen and Senators are the very ones demanding more and more paperwork from the insurance companies and employer health plan sponsors. If you doubt this ask any hospital administrator , doctor’s office or group Medical insurance company how much their paperwork increased due to the HIPAA Privacy legislation took effect. Ask any employer that provides group health insurance to its employees how much their paperwork increased when COBRA legislation was passed, especially the latest change to COBRA
requiring employers to pick up 65% of the COBRA costs for 9 months. Ask any insurance company offering group Medical insurance how much the price of group Medical insurance will go up due to the recently Mental Health Parity legislation, that was buried in the “Stimulous” legislation recently signed into law by Mr. Obama. This legislation was sponsored by Senator Peter Dominici, of Arizona and will substantially increase the cost of group Medical insurance.
It should be remembered that the majority of all Americans with Medical coverage get that coverage from their employer. There is no law saying that employers must provide group Medical coverage to their employees(Workers Compensation is required by most all states, but that is coverage only for accidental injury and illness incurred as a result of employment). The provision of group Medical coverage is a voluntary act by employers to attract and retain employees, however, since the government allows employers to deduct the cost of providing this coverage as a business expense, the government assumes the authority to tell employers who must be covered and to demand that such coverage constantly be increased.
At some point, and I for one believe that it will be sooner than later, employers are going to throw in the towel and tell the government “go ahead and take it all, we cannot continue to provide the ever-expanding benefits you demand, the ever-expanding eligibility and administrative rules and regulations you keep imposing”. And who could blame them?
We have too many politicians telling the American public that we must have “quality, affordable healthcare” for all Americans. Sounds nice doesn’t it? However, these same politicians do not define their terms, nor are they likely to try. And no one is demanding that they be made to provide such definitions. What do they mean by “quality”? Some think that unless an insurance plan covers everything from band-aids, vitamins and aspirin to experimental drugs and treatments by any provider at 100% of charges, it’s not a “quality” plan. What do they mean by “affordable”? Is a plan “affordable” only if the person paying for the coverage agrees that it is “affordable”. What do they mean by “all Americans”? Does the term “all Americans” mean anyone who happens to be in the country legally or illegally?
Not all, but too many of the public love it when they think the government is socking it to insurance companies, passing laws requiring expanded coverage and eligibility. You can almost hear the “yeah” roar of approval and see the raised fists, pumping the air. OK, swell. Now the insurance rates go up because of these expansions and what does the public do? You betcha, they blame the “greedy” insurance companies.
Medical cost containment firms tell us that we need to make “wise consumers” out of those covered by medical insurance plans and this will lower the cost of insurance. When your spouse or your child has a very serious medical problem and needs surgery or other treatment, are you honestly going to look for the lowest bidder when deciding which doctor to use? Or are you going to want to find the very best doctor who has had the greatest success in his/her field? I think we all know the answer to that.
It’s a wonderful and charitable sentiment to believe that everyone should have the very best of medical care when they need it. You could say the same about food, clothing, housing and education. But how much are you willing to insure that EVERYONE can have ALL of these things? Chances are whatever you are willing to pay won’t be nearly enough. Or are you one of those that believes that if the government pays, you won’t have to?
Will all Americans be covered? If yes,lets just use the same System the Politicians have! This will save lots of money,since we are not re-invent-ing the Wheel!