June 27, 2017
Senator John Hoeven
338 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Hoeven:
The undersigned individuals and organizations write to express pressing concerns over the proposed changes to Medicaid and Medicaid Expansion through the American Health Care Act (AHCA). The proposed changes of concern are the per capita caps on the federal contribution to Medicaid to the states, and the effective ending of enhanced federal funding for Medicaid Expansion. A phase-out period for ending the Medicaid Expansion would still have catastrophic effects; millions of Americans could lose coverage in the near term as states are forced to freeze enrollment to curb rising costs, and millions more would lose coverage once the Medicaid Expansion finally ended.
These provisions of the AHCA will severely compromise the ability of North Dakotans to access healthcare, threatening the viability of families and individuals with low and moderate incomes, people with disabilities, the elderly, and children.
Currently, over 114,000 North Dakotans receive health coverage and long-term services through Medicaid and Medicaid Expansion. These two programs have led to North Dakotans seeking more affordable preventative care rather than much costlier acute care, reducing the overall cost of healthcare. They have also reduced the stress on health care facilities that often have to bear the burden of unpaid acute care. Additionally, Medicaid and Medicaid Expansion have positive economic impacts of over $1.6 billion through the employment of individuals in local and rural hospitals and community health care facilities around the state.
Setting a per capita cap on Medicaid or the ending of enhanced federal funding for Medicaid Expansion would each shift significant costs to North Dakota, our taxpayers and healthcare providers because they will shift the responsibility of increased health care costs to the state. Shifting costs to the state could result in cuts to provider payments, program eligibility, services, or all of the above – ultimately harming some of North Dakota’s most vulnerable citizens. Collectively they could cause untold harm to the health care systems that North Dakota and its citizens have worked so hard to develop. As a sign of support, this winter North Dakota’s legislature agreed to continue Medicaid expansion, which was set to expire on June 30.
As groups representing a wide cross section of North Dakota, from business, to healthcare, to consumers, to working North Dakotans, and as individual North Dakotans we encourage you to reject a Senate healthcare bill that includes a per capita cap on Medicaid or reduces federal funding for Medicaid Expansion
Sincerely:
The undersigned 36 organizations and 345 individuals as of 8:00 p.m. June 26, 2017 (continues)
Organizations
The North Dakota Economic Security and Prosperity Alliance (NDESPA)
The Arc of Bismarck
The Arc of Cass County
The Arc of North Dakota
The Arc, Upper Valley
American Lung Association in ND
CAWS North Dakota
Clean & Green Cleaning Service, Fargo
Community Action Partnership of North Dakota
Designer Genes of North Dakota
Ehrens Consulting
Family Voices of North Dakota
Fargo Underground
Great Plains Food Bank
Heartview Foundation
Mid Dakota Clinic PC
Music Therapy in Motion
Native American Development Center
North Dakota Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
North Dakota AFL-CIO
North Dakota Childhood Trauma Network
North Dakota County Social Service Directors Association
North Dakota District 22 Dem-NPL
North Dakota Farmers Union
North Dakota Human Rights Coalition
North Dakota United
North Dakota Women's Network
Prairie St. John's, Fargo
Protection & Advocacy Project
Sacred Pipe Resource Center, Bismarck
Schneider Law Firm, Grand Forks
Strengthen ND
Individuals
Pamela Anderson
John Andrus
Jacquelyn Aronson
Patricia Aune
Ondine Baird
Carenlee Barkdull
Marlene Batterberry
Jill Beireis
Wannetta Bennett
Courtney Bergman
Susan Bergquist
Kathy Bingeman
Sara Boger
Jeani Borchert
Joshua Boschee
Carol Braaten
Tricia Brame
Mara Brust
Casey Buchmann
Gladys Cairns
Gladys Cairns
Kaye Carlson
Janis Cheney
Barb Chisholm
Gail Christianson
Lynn Clancy
Stacy Closson
Kathleen Cooper
Owen Dahl
Thomas Dahle
Melissa Dalke
Linda Dalzell
Ashley Decker
Siobhan Deppa
Tina Dietz
Jay Dietz
Gretchen Dobervich
Dustin Dockter
Vivian Drees
Heather Drees
Jessica Dryer
Lisa Durkee
Ann Ede
Karen Ehrens
Duane Ehrens
Anne Eliason
Patrick Engelhart
Nancy Englerth
Julie Erickson
Dixie Evans
Mary Everson
Robert Everson
Christine Fastnaught
Donene Feist
Rebecca Fell
Keith Fernsler
Jackie Flowers
Nichole Fontaine-Vonesh
Martin Fredricks
Jackie Frost-Hodny
Scott Fry
Alissa Fugazzi
Sabina Gasper
Rita Gieser
Karen Gottschalk
John Grabinger
Beth Grahn
Sarah Griffith
Ron Guggisberg
Judy Hager
Robert Haider
Brittany Hanson
Renee Hardy
Dean Harens
Connie Harmel
Constance Harris
Joanne Haug
Mark Haugen
Joan Heckaman
Erin Hell Maser
Tanner Herbert Miller
Marcia Hettich
Kathy Hogan
Mary Pat Holler Bibel
Rep. Rick Holman
Deb Igoe
Amy Ingersoll-Johnson
Jennifer Jenness
Ruth Jenny
Patricia Jessen
Katy Johnson
Deb Johnson
Eric Johnson
Diane Jolin
Clara Jurivich
Cheryl Kary
Rita Kelly
Kate Kenna
Janice Kern
Cynthia Kile
Gabe Kilzer
Bradley King
Ryan Klapperich
Miranda Kleven
Kay Kringlie
Adrienne Larsen
Nicole Larson
Landis Larson
Ryan Larson
warren larson
Matthew Leidholm
Layla Ligutom
Charles Linderman
Ellen Linderman
Charles Linderman
Jane Loscheider
Norton Lovold
Claire Lowstuter
Perry Lundon
Toby Lunstad
Denise Luttio
Elsie Magnus
Brad Magnuson
Johannes Mahlum
Dorene Malling
Landa Manders
Ann Mason
Tim Mathern
Kristin Mathern
Deb Mathern
Scott Mathern-Jacobson
Reba Mathern-Jacobson
Molly Matthews
Rebecca Matthews
Carilynn Maw
Angela Mayberry
Nancy McKenzie
Christina McNeal
Marcia Mikulak
Kristin Miller
Alisa Mitskog
Corey Mock
Carolyn Monzingo
John Monzingo
Camie Mosbrucker
Tara Muhlhauser
Amanda Myhre
Matthew Nelson
Gayle Nelson
Karen Nelson
Marvin Nelson
Kathleen Ness
Senator Erin Oban
Marie Offutt
Tara Okpalaeke-Wood
Rick Olek
Leigh Olson
Elizabeth Olson
Alice Olson
Mike Olson
Kylie Oversen
Crysta Parkinson
Julianne Pedersen
Marly Pedersen
Vicki Peterson
Krisanna Peterson
Dustin Peyer
State Senator Merrill Piepkorn
Rachel Pierson
Christopher Pieske
Christina Pieske
Jessie Quinn
Michelle Ragan
Mary Rennich
Doreen Riedman
Larry Robinson
Rep. Karla Rose Hanson
Wilfred Schill
Debra Schlief
Lori Schlieve
Karen Schneider
Melissa Schroeder
Stacy Scott
Jerry Severson
Christine Shaffer
Ellie Shockley
Patrick Sinner
Katie Skalicky
Melissa Sobolik
Rosie Sprynczynatyk
Deborah Stahlberg
Richard Stahlberg
Emma Steger
Jamie Stewart
Christine Stiven
Alistair Stiven
Rose Stoller
Colleen Swank
Debbie Swanson
Deborah Swanson
Lydia Tackett
Jennifer Tarlin
Ryan Taylor
Kevin Tengesdal
Susan Thompson
Daniel Tick
Jamie Tyson
Ruth Urdahl
Carrie Veitz
Brian Veitz
Katie Vettel
Emily Vieweg
Marybeth Vigeland
Emily Wangen
Nicole Watkins
Renee Wetzsteon
Gail Wiley
Laura Wiley
Leslie Wilkie
Kari Wolff
Lauren Woodbury
Jennifer Wray
Cole Edward Young
+ 140 additional individuals who choose not to disclose their names publicly
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