Government Affairs Committee Meeting

Continuation of Medicaid Expansion:
As a Chamber we supported Medicaid expansion in 2013, under the principles of helping our hospitals recover some of the bad debt/charity care that is currently in the system. 
 
Like all businesses, hospitals cannot continuously provide services in excess of revenue.  Unlike most businesses, hospitals cannot turn anyone away.  So when someone shows up at the hospital without health insurance, hospitals are obligated to provide care with no way to cover those costs.  Medicaid expansion doesn’t solve this problem, but without it the only options for the hospitals will be to shift those costs to the private sector, increase costs for those with health insurance, limit services, or shut down altogether.
 
Medicaid Expansion helps reduce the amount of uncompensated care in hospitals; this is a business issue for several reasons:

• First, hospitals are businesses and cannot operate in excess of revenue; we need hospitals for a healthy community and healthy economy.
• Second, uncompensated care ends up shifting to the business community and their employees through higher premiums, limitation of services, or leaving a community.
• Finally, proximity to quality health care is important for attracting and growing business in North Dakota.As we look to diversify our economy, we must do what we can to attract companies to locate in North Dakota.Closing hospitals only makes it more difficult to attract new jobs.

• Bernie Dardis, Policy Vice Chair, GNDC

• Tim Rave, VP Public Policy, Sanford Health
• Chris Jones, VP Strategy and Business Development, CHI

• Bernie Dardis, Policy Vice Chair, GNDC