Mainers Strongly
Support Universal Health Care — Dirigo
Health’s Goal
Cynthia Szymaink spoke about her
ordeal with Medicare Part D at a press conference with Congressman Michaud and Allen.
Governor Baldacci has stepped in to help all the people of Maine who are having problems
with the federal program.
Cynthia Szymaink found out abruptly in 2000 that she had a
brain tumor. Last fall Cynthia received a letter from the federal government informing her
that she would be enrolled in Medicare Part D, thus ending her MaineCare benefits. For 25
years she was a vibrant working woman. The transition to dealing with a brain tumor and
the treatments were challenging. Now, her cancer is in remission.
“But the real nightmare started with Medicare Part
D,” said Szymaink. She wasn’t in the federal database, so according to her new
insurance plan she didn’t exist. She tried to talk to the new insurance carrier she
was signed up with, but they were unresponsive. For two months she forewent her
medications, endangering her health.
“It wasn’t until I called Governor
Baldacci’s office that I got real help. I received a call back from a member of his
staff, and within just a few hours I was able to get my prescription filled.”
Szymaink’s ordeal highlights the need for
comprehensive health care. With MaineCare she was taken care of but Medicare D let her
temporally fall through the cracks.
The stress of wondering if her condition had worsened ended
up giving her heart problems. Without Governor Baldacci’s steadfast determination to
protect the citizens of Maine against the faults of Medicare D, who knows what would have
happened to Szymaink.
The governor is continually focused on ensuring the people
of Maine receive the health care that they need. In Maine people will continue to receive
their benefits under Maine’s programs as long as there are problems with Medicare D.
A survey commissioned by the Maine Center for Economic
Policy, and AARP shows strong support for MaineCare, the state’s version of Medicaid,
and for the idea that society has an obligation to ensure that all people have health
coverage.
The telephone survey of 300 people found that more than 90
percent of respondents said that universal health care benefits everyone and 94 percent
said that the government should provide health care coverage for people who can’t
afford it. Seventy-three percent of those who responded said that the health-care system
in the United States is headed in the wrong direction.
“For the majority of Maine people, there is no
disagreement. In fact most Maine adults strongly believe that government should be
providing health care for people who cannot afford it,” said Lisa Pohlmann,
associated director for MECEP and coauthor of the report.
The survey also showed that:
• 81 percent of Mainers strongly agree
that it saves money when people with chronic diseases like diabetes have access to early
diagnosis and treatment to improve health.
Preventive care is the key to Dirigo Health. DirigoChoice
covers people with preexisting conditions and gives yearly checkups to uncover illnesses
before they become serious.
• 80 percent of Mainers agree that the
cost of caring for uninsured people is shifted onto other policyholders. When uninsured
people are treated in emergency rooms, hospitals shift that cost to private insurance
companies, who then pass along the cost as premium increases.
DirigoChoice and other Dirigo Health reforms helps to
reduce the cost of charity care and bad debt, thus preventing the resulting cost shift to
other insured Maine people.
Dirigo not only provides critical health care to thousands
of Mainers who would otherwise not be able to afford coverage, it also has achieved $43.7
million of savings in Maine’s health-care system. The state’s health ranking
improved from 10th to 8th in the nation in just one year.
Nationwide, Dirigo Health was recently recognized as one of
the top 18 government innovations for 2006. The Ash Institute and Council for Excellence
in Government named Dirigo Health as among the “best and brightest” government
programs.
The percentage of working-age Americans with moderate to
middle incomes who lacked health insurance for at least part of 2005 rose to 41 percent, a
dramatic increase from the 28 percent without coverage in 2001, according to a report by
the Commonwealth Fund, a New York based private, health-care policy foundation.
Maine is one of only seven states in the nation that has
seen a decrease in the number of uninsured.
“Maine is taking the lead in putting quality health
care within reach of all Maine people,” said House Speaker John Richardson.
“Maine is one of only a handful of states insuring more people now than four years
ago, while in most states more and more people are losing their health insurance. We will
continue moving Maine forward in lowering health-care costs for Maine people and
businesses through Dirigo.”
“Health-care concerns are on the minds of people and
businesses in Maine and across the country. We have taken a bold first step with Dirigo to
address those concerns,” said Governor Baldacci.
Dirigo Health began with the governor’s vision to
bring universal health care to Maine.
With Dirigo Health parents of children eligible for
MaineCare can enroll in the insurance program. Over five thousand have. But MaineCare only
goes so far. What about small business people trying to earn a decent living and provide
for their employees and families? What about their employees?
“Health care is a matter of fairness. Quality health
care must be available to everyone in Maine. Dirigo is providing Maine people and
businesses with access to affordable, high quality health care,” said the governor.
DirigoChoice insures 2,000 businesses in Maine. All
together Dirigo Health covers over 15,000 people.
“I don’t know what I would have done without the
help I received from the governor’s office. I just didn’t have the stamina to
keep fighting,” concluded Szymaink after her ordeal with Medicare D.
“People who work hard and play by the rules need to be
rewarded not punished,” said the governor who has stated that he will continue to
fight for universal health care in Maine. Dirigo Health is the first step. |
