ND Insurance Commissioner supports reform if it doesn't increase taxes and expands access

(WDAY TV) - North Dakota's Insurance Commissioner says he'll support a health care bill if it controls costs and expands access. About 90 percent of North Dakotans have Blue Cross Blue Shield as their insurance provider.

Hamm is working on bringing more competition and choice to the state. As far as government run healthcare, Hamm says it comes down to whether private businesses will be able to compete with the government.

"If it's structured in such a way that it really isn't a fair competitor to private insurance companies, but it's really a rigged competitor, it's always going to be able to subsidize itself with more taxpayer dollars."

Hamm says reform has to allow more people to be insured and it can't increase the deficit or create more taxes.