Jon Godfread and Legislative Republicans Fail 316,000 North Dakotans

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Jon Godfread and Legislative Republicans Fail 316,000 North Dakotans

(BISMARCK, ND) –On April 15th, with bipartisan support, Rep. Rick Holman (D-Mayville) successfully included an amendment in the Insurance Commissioner’s budget that would ensure that North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions will be covered by their health insurance provider if the lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act is successful. (Reminder: Insurance Commissioner Godfread supports this lawsuit.)

This amendment would have ensured that North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and more will not lose access to life-saving healthcare. However, the conference committee on the Insurance Commissioner’s budget stripped the clause providing protection for those with pre-existing conditions. Instead, legislative Republicans, at the insistence of Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread, replaced the amendment with a “study”.

The 316,000 North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions don’t need a study: they know exactly what is at stake if the Affordable Care Act is taken down. Rather than looking out for the best interests of their constituents, Jon Godfread and Republican legislators felt a “study” on protection pre-existing conditions would somehow be a better solution.

“With protections for pre-existing conditions hanging in the balance, North Dakotans don’t need a study. They need their leaders to fight for them,” said Alison Jones, Communications Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Jon Godfread and Republican legislators have flat-out failed 316,000 North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions by replacing protections for their healthcare with a meaningless and unnecessary study.”.

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