July 1

When It Comes to Affordable Health Care,
Mainers are Dying for an Option!

Hundreds of Maine people rallied in Bangor, Augusta and Portland on July 1 to demand quality, affordable healthcare, and to urge U.S. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to support a public option for all Americans without affordable healthcare. MSEA-SEIU member Debra A. Violette, state chair of the Lung Cancer Alliance, spoke at the rally outside Anthem insurance's Augusta office Augusta rally. She said that even those lucky enough to have insurance can face insurmountable barriers set up by insurance companies. Virgil Bozeman, pastor at South Parish Congregational Church, told the group, "Mainers are dying for an option, and it's true." He cited figures showing that two-thirds of Mainers who filed for bankruptcy in 2008 did so because of catastrophic medical bills. Over the past four years, Anthem's profits have skyrocketed over 89 percent. Just last year, Anthem made $51 million in profits in Maine as it pushed for bigger premium increases for Maine people. Directly below, Mainers hold a moment of silence in Augusta to remember the 22,000 people who died in our nation this year without any health insurance. Click here for a slideshow of the Augusta rally.