(Bismarck  CSi ND Dem NPL) – The North Dakota Democratic NPL Party reports, that former North Dakota Congressman and Insurance Commissioner Earl Pomeroy joined 35 other current and former state insurance commissioners in opposition to the latest Republican health care repeal bill, known as “Graham-Cassidy.”

In a letter sent to the majority and minority leaders in both houses of Congress, the commissioners write:

“The Cassidy-Graham bill would increase the number of people without health coverage and severely disrupt states’ individual insurance markets, with sharp premium increases and insurer exits likely to occur in the short term and over time.

“[Cassidy-Graham] would batter state insurance markets and the consumers that they serve. While we are strong supporters of state flexibility and state regulation of health insurance, the Cassidy-Graham bill puts states in an impossible position.” 

“Whether it’s patient advocacy groups, hospital associations, current and former insurance commissioners, or North Dakotans in every corner of our state, the outcry against Graham-Cassidy has been overwhelming,” said Democratic-NPL chairwoman Kylie Oversen. “It’s time for Sen. John Hoeven, U.S. Senate candidate Tom Campbell and Rep. Kevin Cramer to put North Dakota families first by rejecting these unconscionable efforts to dismantle our current health care law by ripping coverage away from an estimated 47,000 North Dakotans and millions of Americans.”

North Dakota Hospital Association

On Friday, the North Dakota Hospital Association sent a letter saying the Graham-Cassidy legislation would “make it virtually impossible for providers to meet the health care needs of their communities” and urging members of North Dakota’s federal delegation to “oppose this measure.”

Bipartisan Medicaid Directors from all 50 states

In a highly unusual move, the bipartisan Medicaid Directors from all 50 states also signed a letter expressing deep concerns that Graham-Cassidy would “fail to deliver on our collective goal of an improved health care system” and urging Congress to “revisit the topic of comprehensive Medicaid reform when it can be addressed with the careful consideration merited by such a complex undertaking.”

AARP North Dakota

According to AARP North Dakota, Graham-Cassidy “could be the worst health care proposal yet” and would “increase health care costs, take away coverage from millions of Americans, impose a crushing age tax on Americans ages 50 to 64, and price-gouge people living with conditions like cancer.”