If the new Dirigo Health Plan, DirigoChoice, were anything like what Tarren Bragdon described, (“Dirigo health plan a disappointment,” BDN, Jan. 25), we would have never signed up for it. Bragdon distorted the facts about DirigoChoice and I think his op-ed is a disservice to all small businesses looking for affordable health insurance.

As a small business owner, I’ve been looking for affordable, quality coverage for myself and my employees and haven’t been able to find anything. When we heard that Dirigo was about to become operational we contacted an authorized agent and reviewed the policies, costs and application requirements. We found that despite our small size, we were able to provide quality health care for our employees at an affordable cost.

Bragdon stated, “Small employers are rejecting DirigoChoice because it is fundamentally flawed.” As a new and interested customer, I decided to do some research into his assertions. The Dirigo Health Agency tells me that as of Feb. 1, about 2,700 Maine people will be covered by DirigoChoice. This includes 250 small businesses and 1,000 self-employed workers, and, applications keep coming in every day. That doesn’t sound like rejection to me.

Bragdon also wrote, “What employees will pay for DirigoChoice varies dramatically based on household income.” Far from being a negative, that’s the best thing about the DirigoChoice plan. My employees and I are all working hard and we all have different household situations. There are four of us in our company who are also covering our families, for a total of nine people covered by Dirigo. My wife and I both work for the company and have three small children. Two of our employees also cover their spouses. The point is DirigoChoice is flexible enough to meet different needs.

The flexibility that I have as an employer is what I like most. DirigoChoice creates a solid balance between what I can afford each month and what my employees can afford because they can receive discounts. Maine finally has an insurance plan that is based on ability to pay, rather than an arbitrary flat rate with little or no flexibility.

In his piece, Bragdon stated that there are “24 total different plans… DirigoChoice is the most complex health plan on the market.” The fact is there are only two plans, not 24, which differ only by their costs. Once after exploring DirigoChoice, we determined what we were interested in, we contacted an authorized agent (agents are listed on the Dirigo Health Agency’s Web site). The plans and costs were explained to us and we chose Plan 2.

It’s obvious Bragdon is unfamiliar with the application process and the administration requirements for the small business. The Dirigo Health Agency takes the hassle out of applying. I can’t speak to the state’s administration problems, but for us it’s relatively easy to manage this program. We are not, as Bragdon suggested, expected to administer and troubleshoot 24 health plans – only one. All other questions and problems are referred to the Dirigo Health Agency or Anthem.

Again, Bragdon showed his ignorance of the basic application procedure involved to determine eligibility for a premium discount. We were not required to collect confidential information from our employees regarding their household situations. It’s the state’s responsibility, not the small business owners’, to determine each employee’s household income and premium discount level. Each employee provides his or her income information directly to the state. They were only required to provide further personal information if they felt they, or their family, were eligible for Maine Care or Medicaid.

My family and I only provided basic income information. We weren’t required to provide any information regarding pregnancy status, child care providers and expenses, disability or HIV status, cashable assets or real estate assets. The application process was handled by an authorized agent and was confidential.

Along with the discounts, the benefits that DirigoChoice provides are excellent. They are comprehensive and include prescription drugs, no-cost preventive care and the HealthyME Rewards Program. Where else can you find these benefits now? I know they will help my employees and their families get timely care. This will help them be more productive at work, which helps our bottom line.

After reading Bragdon’s op-ed, I think it’s the Maine Heritage Policy Center that doesn’t understand the needs of Maine’s small businesses. What we need is affordable health insurance with good benefits – benefits that will help my employees and their families stay healthy and productive. And, we need enough flexibility for us to offer it to our employees and for them to be able to afford it. That is what DirigoChoice provides.

I run into a lot of people and small businesses that still don’t know about DirigoChoice. If people don’t know about it, they won’t join. If they don’t know the truth about it, they won’t join. DirigoChoice needs to be given a chance, it’s only been out since the first of January and already some are calling it a failure. I’m sure its 2,700 members would strongly disagree with that assessment. It’s time the Heritage Center and others give DirigoChoice a chance, or propose something better. We are all listening.

That would be a real service to Maine’s small businesses. Irresponsible op-eds like Bragdon’s that are just plain wrong send a false message about DirigoChoice. As a happy customer, I encourage all small businesses to get the facts, not the opposition’s distortions. DirigoChoice is the best plan we have seen and needs a chance to grow and get better.

It is time to support what’s working, and DirigoChoice is working – for us and for Maine.

Chris Kelley is president of BrickNet Information Technologies Inc. of Bangor.