Bruce Poliquin calls Jared Golden a socialist because Golden wants to give people past the age of 55 the opportunity to purchase Medicare coverage. The operative word is purchase.
Instead of paying insurance premiums to private insurers, those premiums would go to Medicare. That would not be a billion dollar cost to taxpayers. It would, instead, stimulate competition for those premium dollars.
The CEO of Anthem Blue Cross made $18 million in salary and stock options last year. That is more than the annual budget of Franklin Memorial hospital. Private insurance overhead is 12 to 18 percent. Medicare overhead is closer to 3 percent. Medicare is a bargain in comparison.
Bruce Poliquin has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars from the insurance industry. He fights for their interest over the interests of ordinary Mainers.
Jared Golden is right on this issue and deserves the public’s vote in November.
Jay Naliboff, Chesterville
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