Should patients be able to make decisions regarding who is on their healthcare team? If you believe patient choice should be a core value in North Dakota, you might want to start tracking HB 1416. North Dakotans for Open Access Healthcare is working to ensure you and your family have a choice to access the healthcare providers you know and trust.
The genesis of HB 1416 is due to the increasing concern regarding narrow network insurance plans – particularly those that have zero out-of-network coverage for patients. HB 1416 will allow providers that are currently out-of-network in these plans to negotiate the terms and conditions to participate, increasing patient access. Increased participation will increase competition amongst healthcare providers which will lead to innovation, higher quality, and lower cost care.
Opponents state this will drive up health insurance costs. The insurance companies still control the fee schedule, and the qualified licensed provider must meet the terms and conditions for participation. A consultant study for North Dakota state employees plan states, “the (financial) impact of the proposed legislation could be immaterial.” It is known that hospital and provider consolidation, as is occurring in our state, increases cost and has minimal to zero impact on quality. HB 1416 helps protect against the risk of health care monopolization, and subsequent increased costs, in an ever-consolidating healthcare market in North Dakota.
If you want to increase your health care provider options, contact your legislators, and ask them to support HB 1416. Let’s ensure that North Dakotans are free to choose their own path when it comes to health care providers.
NDOAH is a coalition of independent medical practices, medical facilities, hospitals, and associations whose mission is to protect patient access to medical care in North Dakota.
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