Heitkamp vows not to 'go backwards' with new health care bill

Though the U.S. Senate has not yet received the House-passed GOP health care reform bill, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp says senators — including herself — are already working on it.

Heitkamp met Friday with a diverse group of health industry leaders, disability advocates, those who work with Native Americans and the heads of teachers and farmers unions in Bismarck to discuss the new health care bill. Heitkamp spoke about changes she would like to see with the health care law and assured the group — who voiced concerns over the bill — that she's not willing to rollback Medicaid expansion and reduce benefits.

"There are a number of colleagues on the other side who have, in fact, contacted me. I have a simple rule: I'm willing to talk to anyone about the health care law, but I'm not willing to go backwards," she said. "I have some pretty strong ideas about what backwards looks like, and its center is the Medicaid program."

The House passed the American Health Care Act on May 4. The bill would get rid of Medicaid expansion by 2020. The Medicaid program provides coverage for about 20,000 North Dakotans, according the the state Department of Human Services.

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