There is growing confusion about what is happening with proposed health care reform. As CEO and president of one of North Dakota's health care systems, I would like to remind everyone of what is, perhaps, the most critical aspect to maintain high-quality health care in North Dakota: fair payments for health care services.

The current discussion about the creation of a new "public option" is certainly raising the interest of many. In July, the House Ways and Means Committee passed a public option with a serious flaw. That version would pay North Dakota providers at current Medicare rates, which are among the lowest in the country. It is ironic that such unfair payments by Medicare are occurring when the quality data, published by our government, indicates that North Dakota hospitals provide some of the very best health care in our nation.

Expanding Medicare's flawed payment system to a new public option would result in millions of dollars leaving the North Dakota health care system, jeopardizing the ability of doctors and hospital to provide much-needed services to our communities. We need health care reform that treats the people and health care providers in North Dakota fairly. A public plan based on Medicare rates, simply put, would not.

Fortunately, our North Dakota congressional delegation understands these unfair payments to North Dakota hospitals as well as the negative impact it would have on North Dakotans' access to treatment they need if this payment system were expanded. Rep. Earl Pomeroy, as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, did the right thing for our state by voting against the flawed bill that would have further perpetuated this unfairness to North Dakota.