North Dakota Had Highest Obamacare Cost Per Enrollment In Federal Exchange

Legislators got an update today on the Obamacare Medicaid expansion and how it has impacted North Dakota. Despite Sanford, the only company operating in the expansion after Blue Cross Blue Shield pulled out due to financial issues, trying to spin the issue, the numbers are pretty ugly.

For instance, after forecasting that as many as 30,000 North Dakotans would sign up for the program if it was expanded, a total of just 7,833 people had signed up as of May 6th.

Also, this: “Mike Schwab, executive vice president of the North Dakota Pharmacists Association, said his group is now regretting its initial support for Medicaid expansion.”

Now comes news that North Dakota enrollments in the federal health insurance exchange were the costliest in the nation, and the third most expensive when state-based exchanges are included.

Every enrollment in North Dakota has cost federal taxpayers over $7,000 according to this data from the Kaiser Foundation.

North Dakota has one of the lowest enrollment numbers in the nation, and the true count of effectuated policies is even lower than the Obama administration is claiming.

The Obama administration claims 10,597 enrollments from North Dakota through the federal exchange, but information from Insurance Commissioner Adam Hamm’s office indicates that less than half – just 5,069 – of those policies have been paid for as of May 1st.

It’s hard to imagine how anyone can claim that this is sound health care policy in North Dakota. Or anywhere else for that matter.