Even Those Mainers With Good Coverage Know They’re Paying a Price As Health Insurance Costs Rise.

By EDWARD D. MURPHY Staff Writer

Rapidly rising health insurance costs are causing workers to worry along with their bosses.

"When my health care (insurance) is more than my mortgage, that’s a concern to me," said Rebecca Boulanger, the office manager at Micro Technologies in Richmond.

That was nearly the situation a couple of years ago, Boulanger said, when her share of health care coverage was about $5,000 a year.

Micro Technologies switched carriers this year and employees are now covered by DirigoChoice. Boulanger still pays about $3,000 a year – plus a $1,250 deductible – to cover herself and two children at college.

Boulanger said Micro Technologies, which switches plans fairly frequently, uses a collaborative approach to decide on coverage.

Each year, a broker provides four or five insurance proposals, she said, which managers and employees review. Then they decide as a group which coverage to go with.

Compared with the cost of previous policies, DirigoChoice saves a little each month, partially offset by a relatively high deductible, Boulanger said.

"If you have a healthy year and you don’t have to meet that deductible, you have a substantial savings," she said.

Still, with insurance costs rising each year, Boulanger said she frets about the future.

"If I can’t really afford it now, what are my children going to do when they get out of college?" Boulanger asked. "It’s going to be getting increasingly worse, I’m afraid."

Even workers with good coverage and employers who pick up the tab for health care insurance feel they are paying a price.

John Joslin’s employer, Port City Graphics in Westbrook, covers the cost of health insurance for its full-time employees. And good coverage is important for Joslin, a graphics designer, who has arthritis and is facing the possibility of double hip replacement surgery.

"I wouldn’t have even joined up with these guys if I didn’t have health insurance," Joslin said.

A previous employer went out of business, leaving Joslin unemployed for about a year. That period left him nervous about what would happen if he got into an accident or seriously ill.

Under Port City Graphics’ policy, Joslin has to cover about $1,000 of medical expenses annually out of pocket and has co-pay requirements, but he knows he’s covered if he needs the surgery.

Still, he knows the money has to come from somewhere.

"I’m sure it restricts them from paying me what I wish I was taking home every day," Joslin said.

Staff Writer Edward D. Murphy can be contacted at 791-6465 or at:

emurphy@pressherald.com