07.05.17

Hoeven Holds Health Care Meetings in Grand Forks

Senator Visits New UND Medical School, Holds Meeting at Altru Medical Center

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today toured the new University of North Dakota (UND) School of Medicine and Health Sciences before holding a health care meeting at Altru Medical Center to discuss health care reform. The meeting included: Dave Molmen, CEO of Altru Hospital; Meghan Compton, General Counsel at Altru Hospital; Brad Gibbens, MPA, Deputy Director of the Center for Rural Health; Pete Antonson, Administrator of Northwood Deaconess Health Center; and Alan O’Neil, CEO of Unity Medical Center in Grafton. 

“Premiums and deductibles in North Dakota and across the nation continue to rise and some areas of the country will be left with little or no insurer competition next year. That is why we’re working to reform our health care system. While I do not support the Senate health care bill in its current form, we continue working on the legislation with the goal of providing greater access to health care and more affordable health insurance. Addressing the problems with Obamacare and reforming our health care system will be a process, not one bill, and meetings like today’s will allow us to take feedback from health care providers in North Dakota back to Washington.”

Hoeven outlined the need for health care reform to:

  • Stabilize the health insurance market to make it more competitive so consumers have access to better and more affordable health insurance plans.
  • Provide a health care system that enables greater access to health coverage for low-income individuals either through Medicaid or tax credits based on age and income that will make health insurance more affordable 

Today’s health care meetings continue the senator’s work to provide North Dakotans with better health care and health insurance options. Recently, Hoeven held a health care roundtable at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo with health care leaders and people with different perspectives on the health care debate. The senator has been meeting with health care providers, patients, North Dakota business owners, health insurers and individuals to gather input on health care reform.

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