berged of Portland, ME Linda, LifeFlight was started as a business venture. If the business was successful, do you think they would be sharing their profits with hospitals? I don't think so. And to set the record straight, trauma centers do not make money. In fact, most hospitals have many unreimbursed costs associated with Emergency Departments and Trauma Services. Since the State of Maine thinks it should regulate how health care is delivered, they should provide (through funding)this service to its citizens. That would be more equitable.report abuse

Linda of Portland, ME I agree that Life Flight provides an invaluable service to the state of Maine. Shouldn’t all hospitals (trauma centers) that receive and care for these patients help to off set the cost of this service so that it can continue to provide excellend care? If Lifeflight brings a patient to Maine Medical Center, than MMC is getting revenue as a result. Do they help LifeFlight, or could they?report abuse

DK of Monmouth, ME Lifeflight is a tremendous asset to this state, but how long can they, like all emergency services, survive when they are losing over 1/2 million dollars a year? A recent health care study rated the US 19th of the top 19 developed nations in the world for measures of health care quality, yet we topped the list in spending. Until health care in America becomes outcome driven, and measured by quality, access, and efficiency as opposed to corporate profit driven, nothing will change on this. It's no surprise that all the other 18 countries who rated higher in this list have some version of universal health care. Equally no surprise is that corporate CEO's, pharmaceutical companies, and insurance administrators who would have the most to lose from a single payer system in the US have successfully lobbied to brand universal health care as something akin to communism or marxism.report abuse

j steu of Augusta, ME I was a patient at CMMC some years ago and was fortunate to have Dr. Hopperstadt attending to me for part of my care. He's a tremendously skilled and caring person. He is to be commended for his work on the LifeFlight program and the service it provides Mainers.report abuse