Insurance companies will cover the cost of treatment only once symptoms become apparent. As a longtime survivor of Lyme disease, I discovered that using symptoms as proof of infection is not fail-safe. Once the symptoms take hold, these spiral-shaped bacteria become deeply embedded within the entire body. Antibiotics aren’t effective when taken during the later stages of infection unless administered intravenously. We need to allocate significant state funding to create a preventive vaccine, accurate testing and better insurance coverage for testing in the early through late stages of infection. Signs posted at entrances to our state and national parks and local preserves would alert people about taking precautions. ~ Jayne Schiff-Verre, South Portland