The state Senate has unanimously killed a bill that would affect how the insurance company for state employee health insurance is selected.
This comes after the Public Employees Retirement System board picked Sanford Health over the long-time provider, Blue Cross-Blue Shield. The House bill would have added Legislative involvement in those decisions going forward. And Sen. Dick Dever (R-Bismarck) says the House version of the bill would probably require a re-bid of the new contract – landing the state in the courts. Dever says the Senate committee made the bill prospective instead of retrospective, but he says he doesn’t think that would fly in the House.
"So I don't think we could come to any resolution in a conference committee," Dever said during floor debate.
Sen. Tyler Axness (D-Fargo) says the PERS board followed the correct procedure – and the bill is more legislative micro-management. And he says the bill was introduced out of fear -- of change.
"For many years, many of us wanted competition in the insurance market," Axness said. "Now we finally have it. And now, we're afraid of the competition we've been asking for."
Axness says he believes insurance companies would think twice about submitting bids in the future – if the bill passes.
Sen. Judy Lee (R-West Fargo), the chairman of the Senate Human Services Committee, says she believes all the questions about Sanford have been answered.
