Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul After Heated Debate

VIEW VIDEO COVERAGE FROM WABI-5

by Rob Poindexter – May 16th 2011 11:06pm

Augusta – Governor LePage and Republican lawmakers scored a big victory Monday on healthcare. “This is about lowering the cost of health insurance,” Senator Jonathan Courtney of York County told lawmakers during the Senate debate.

In a move praised as a bipartisan victory by Senate Republicans, the state senate passed a sweeping healthcare overhaul Monday just after Noon. Republicans were able to pull 2 Democrats and 1 Independent across the aisle to vote in favor of the legislation. The 24-10 vote came after a heated debate. Senate Democrats questioned who will really benefit. “Anthem was pushing this bill. They are the ones who are dramatically increasing their rates,” Senator Phillip Bartlett of Gorham argued in the Senate chambers. “Who do you think is gonna benefit from this? Do you think they were doing it because they thought they we’re making too much money? No this bill will help them make more money.”

The bill would allow other New England states, with Vermont being the only exception, to sell health insurance in Maine. It also prohibits insurers from rejecting people based on pre-existing conditions. Instead, it creates a new way to pay for insurance for people with chronic illnesses and high medical costs — a tax on premiums of up to $4 per person per month on many of the policy holders in Maine. Senate Democrats take exception to part of that provision. State workers and lawmakers would be exempt from the tax. Senator Cynthia Dill of Cape Elizabeth argues that is not fair to Mainers who will be stuck with the tax. “If we can’t afford $7000 to pay for this new program, we certainly can’t expect people who work at Walmart to pay for it or our school employees.”

Senator Jonathan Courtney and Senator David Trahan said that provision could be fixed through a future bill. “This is about creating an environment and sending a strong message to the people of Maine that if we have the opportunity to lower health insurance from $5-6-700 a month down to a couple hundred dollars a month,” Senator Courtney said. “That’s what it’s about it’s about changing the environment for job creation.”

Republicans assured everyone during Monday’s debate that there would be bills coming down the road to address this and any other concerns that do arise from this bill. Democrats say those fixes wouldn’t be necessary if the bill wasn’t rushed through. “It’s been ramrodded and it’s too bad because the session isn’t ending tomorrow. There’s plenty of time to get the bill right,” said Democratic Senator Justin Alfond of Portland.

Republicans admit it isn’t a perfect bill, but it helps get maine get ready for what is coming down the road. “We’re on our way,” said Republican Senator Deb Plowman of Hampden. “These are goals moving towards the Federal Healthcare Act. If you keep that in mind we’re moving toward what’s going to happen 2014. But we can’t wait for 2014. There’s just too long in between.”

The governor is expected to sign the bill into law Tuesday.