BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota lawmakers want to ensure that they and thousands of public employees will have the same health benefits when their insurance coverage switches to another company this summer.
House Majority Leader Al Carlson says the bill introduced Wednesday that will require Sanford Health Plan match the health coverage of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota.
Sanford says it's committed to matching the existing coverage.
Blues has served as the insurer for the North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System for the last 37 years. But the board of the public employees group voted last month to switch the group's health coverage beginning July 1.
Sanford will insure about 65,000 people, including lawmakers and public employees, retirees and their families.