Today, North Dakota Health and Human Services (HHS) received a 2026 Spotlight Award from the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) for its hospital value-based purchasing program, which uses a performance-based payment framework to improve quality and health outcomes for Medicaid members.
Since 2021, HHS has partnered with the six large hospital systems in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks and Minot, along with a technical vendor and clinical partners to develop and implement the program.
The program encourages hospitals to focus on prevention, care coordination and delivery and improved patient outcomes. Performance is measured on several clinical priorities including preventive care, maternal and child health, behavioral health, avoidable emergency department visits, hospital readmissions and patient engagement.
“I’m proud of the collaboration between our Medicaid team, hospital systems and other partners to improve care for the people we serve,” said HHS Commissioner Conner Swanson. “By rethinking how we pay for care, we’re building a stronger foundation for better health outcomes and patient experience today and in the future. This work helps move us closer to our vision of making North Dakota the healthiest state in the nation.”
Since the program was launched, there has been an improvement across several care measures for children and adults. Nearly 2,900 more children received their annual Medicaid wellness visits and nearly 380 more infants and toddlers received their Medicaid checkups in their first 30 months of life. About 1,500 more children received topical fluoride treatments to prevent cavities.
Another notable improvement was an increase in breast cancer screenings with about 425 more women receiving biannual preventive screenings. This improvement was driven in part by work with hospitals to close care gaps and identify women who needed screening.
NAMD annual Spotlight Awards recognize exceptional leadership and innovation in Medicaid programs. The awards highlight achievements that demonstrate excellence in driving value through improved member experience and efficient use of taxpayer resources.
North Dakota Medicaid provides healthcare coverage to eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities. The program is jointly funded between states and the federal government. States administer the program based on federal requirements. As of September 2026, nearly 106,000 North Dakotans qualified for coverage.
To learn more about North Dakota Medicaid’s hospital value-based purchasing program, visit hhs.nd.gov/value-based-purchasing.