This year, at the Skowhegan Town Meeting, I made some statements about medical coverage benefits for town employees, which have increased 12 percent or more just this year.

I suggested that we should look for changes that could reduce the escalating premiums. Here are a couple of ideas.

Full-time town employees receive 100 percent medical coverage for themselves and 50 percent for family members. Somerset County and School Administrative District 54 employees, however, receive 100 percent coverage for themselves, as well as 100 percent for their family.

It would seem that the town of Skowhegan has already led the way in putting some sort of cap on medical benefits. Somerset County and SAD 54 should follow Skowhegan’s example. It would only be fair.

The yearly increases of 12 percent or more cannot be sustained by private companies or the public sector.

Many employers have recognized this problem and reduced their medical coverage.

Secondly, the state of Maine, municipalities, counties and SADs each negotiate, separately, with companies offering medical insurance.

If they banded together and formed a much larger client base, all of our Maine public employees would present a lucrative market to any insurance company. Competition and lower premiums should be the results. Public employees all would enjoy equal and more sustainable medical coverage.

Combining all Maine’s public workers under a single medical insurance plan might be difficult but the rewards are well worth the effort.

People who think these two suggestions are too radical should ask themselves how many of them working in the private sector enjoy 100 percent medical coverage, for themselves and their family.

Richard J. LaPorte, Skowhegan