BISMARCK – A House committee held the first hearing Monday on a bill designed to ensure that public employees – and lawmakers – can keep their same health benefits and medical providers when the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System switches its insurance carrier to Sanford Health Plan on July 1.
The House Industry, Business and Labor Committee discussed and heard testimony on House Bill 1475 for nearly four hours but took no action on it.
The committee’s chairman, Rep. George Keiser, R-Bismarck, said he hopes to have the bill moved out of committee with a recommendation by March 25.
“Certainly there were some critical points raised, and we will address those,” he said.
The change will affect about 29,000 public employees, retirees and their families – an estimated 65,000 insured lives in all – and end 37 years of coverage by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, which was underbid by Sanford Health Plan.
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