BISMARCK, N.D. –– For the more than 4,500 North Dakotans who will be diagnosed with cancer in 2025, medical prior authorization can delay treatment, increase stress, and have a negative impact on their care .
The Senate Industry and Business Committee of the North Dakota Legislature today took a significant step toward alleviating that problem, giving a unanimous 5 – 0 “do pass” recommendation to Senate Bill 2280, which would establish standards and transparency to prior authorization processes, helping those in need of critical medical care to avoid prolonged delays in treatment.
The bill primary sponsors is Sens. Scott Meyer (Grand Forks) with Jeff Barta (Grand Forks), Brad Bekkedahl (Williston) and Sean Cleary (Bismarck) co-sponsoring in the Senate and Jonathan Warrey (Casselton) and Jon Nelson (Rugby) in the House. It now moves to the full Senate vote and, if successful, would advance to the North Dakota House of Representatives for additional consideration.
“Cancer patients should not have to wait out bureaucratic delays that can have a negative impact on their care,” American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network North Dakota Government Relations Director Ben Hanson said. “There’s a clear need for this legislation and the committee understood the benefit it would bring to thousands.”
Prior authorization is a practice in which physicians must obtain approval from insurers before prescribing medication or moving forward with treatment for their patients. Physicians report the process can lead to significant delays in care, contributing to negative outcomes in patients, including abandoned treatment. The process was once used sparingly by insurers to determine whether costly medical procedures or medications were needed but has devolved into a system requiring providers get approval to prescribe even the most routine medications and procedures.
According to a National Conference of State Legislatures database, 23 states enacted more than 43 bills related to prior authorization in the past few years, including 18 in 2024 alone.