BISMARCK, N.D. -– Prior authorization reform legislation cleared the House on Tuesday and state cancer advocates look forward to the North Dakota State Senate concurring and Gov. Kelly Armstrong signing Senate Bill 2280 into law.
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. 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. The bill’s primary sponsor 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) co-sponsoring in the House.
“Eliminating barriers so that doctors can get cancer patients – and everybody -- the timely care they need just makes sense,” American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network North Dakota Government Relations Director Ben Hanson said. “Much credit goes to all the legislators who took the time to listen to North Dakotans and fully understand this issue. They clearly understood why this law is so important.”