BISMARCK, N.D. – Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread announced today that the North Dakota Insurance Department is opening a 31-day public comment period on the proposed state reinsurance program for the individual health insurance market. The comment period will run from April 5 to May 6, 2019.
The proposed state reinsurance program is currently working its way through the 66th Legislative Assembly. The program would be established within the parameters of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), specifically under Section 1332, which allows for state innovation waivers. The program would cover a large portion of health insurance claims falling within a defined dollar range and would be a significant step toward bringing certainty and stability back into North Dakota’s individual market.
North Dakota’s state-based reinsurance plan will:
- Lower rates to keep consumers in the market and attract new entrants. The program will provide significant financial relief for those not eligible for subsidies. The estimated rate reductions will average between 8-20 percent for plans purchased on the individual market.
- Retain federal subsidies for individuals with incomes between 100-400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), which will ensure that those with access to affordable coverage due to federal subsidies keep their coverage.
- Assist insurers in managing high-risk enrollees and create a broader pool of people to absorb all other risk. This will likely prevent insurance companies from leaving the state’s individual market in the coming years, encourage additional insurers to write business on North Dakota’s individual market and improve consumer access.
The Department has scheduled public hearings to discuss the proposed program and to receive feedback from the public at the following dates and locations:
| Wednesday, April 17 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Fargodome, Mezzanine Level, Meeting Room 202 1800 N University Dr. Fargo, ND |
Thursday, April 18 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center, Heart/Sheyenne Meeting Rooms 800 S 3rd St. Bismarck, ND |
The public is also invited to submit comments on the proposed reinsurance program during the comment period to Deputy Insurance Commissioner Jeff Ubben at jrubben@nd.gov.
The draft application to be filled with the federal government to establish the state reinsurance program can be found on our Proposed North Dakota Reinsurance Program page.