Maine Letters and Opinion

It’s time we treated health care as a public good

January 20, 2025

Maine AllCare board member Michael Bacon’s powerful letters to the editor were published in the Bangor Daily News in December 2024, and in the Washington Post in January 2025. In his letter to the Bangor . . . read more »

Another call for single-payer health insurance

January 2, 2025

Robyn Goshorn, MD, FACP writes in the Portland Press Herald on December 22, 2024: “…Presidents from both parties, going back to Theodore Roosevelt, have proposed national health insurance as the optimal financial structure for our . . . read more »

A warning to the insatiable insurance industry

January 2, 2025

Prompted by the death of the United Healthcare CEO and by the close of the open enrollment period for Medicare supplemental and Advantage plans, Kennebunk resident Jean Thompson writes in the Portland Press Herald: “…Someone . . . read more »

Building bridges with universal public health care

December 27, 2024

Kenneth James, of Cushing, gets right to his point in this succinct letter to the editor: “I’ve long felt that universal public health care would help heal divisions in the U.S. by affirming a common . . . read more »

Our health care system includes a lot of hidden costs

November 14, 2024

Our health care system includes a lot of hidden costs   “One of my most unpleasant experiences as a physician was our small practice’s monthly review of patients’ unpaid bills…their difficulty paying their medical bills . . . read more »

Runaway health care costs are utterly unsustainable

September 30, 2024

Americans pay more for health care per capita than any other country in the world, and by a wide margin. Like it or not, Medicare for all may be the only solution. In this Special . . . read more »

Letter: Universal health care will save money in the long run

September 23, 2024

In her letter to the editor, Beth Franklin describes her experience with Medicare Advantage, then compares it to universal health care. “…Getting to the C-scan required three separate referrals and medical appointments until I finally . . . read more »

Letter: A cure for what’s ailing rural hospitals

September 9, 2024

In his letter to the Portland Press Herald, David Jolly explains the many ways that universal health care would help our health system woes. He concludes: “…Everyone realizes our health care system is broken. Its . . . read more »

Room for skepticism with nonprofit hospitals that plead poverty

September 2, 2024

From wellness spas to salaries, the true financial picture deserves a deeper look. Maine AllCare supporter Mary Ann Larson of Bangor cautions that “we should greet the reporting on the country’s “nonprofit” hospital systems’ financial . . . read more »

The time for a single-payer system is now

August 29, 2024

In his letter to the Portland Press Herald, Bill Keller of Windham responds to Press Herald writer Joe Lawlor’s article about surprise medical bills for emergency care.  Mr. Keller highlights “the impact on individuals in . . . read more »