BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Dakota Senate on Monday passed House Bill 1216 on a 30-14 vote, setting aside a “Do Not Pass” by the Senate Human Services Committee and sending the bill back to Senate Appropriations for review and approval of amendments. The original bill passed the house on a wide margin, 69-24.
HB 1216, sponsored by Rep. Karen Karls of Bismarck, would require all prescription drug copayments made by patients, directly or on their behalf, to count toward their overall out-of-pocket maximum or deductible, making cancer treatment more affordable and saving some North Dakotans from additional medical debt. A 2022 America Cancer Society Cancer Action Network study found 31% of cancer patients and providers noted paying for prescriptions as a challenge and 20% indicated that financial considerations had caused them to skip or delay taking prescribed medication.
“We need insurers to count copay assistance paid by or on behalf of an enrollee toward their annual deductibles and out-of-pocket limit to allow North Dakotas life-saving drugs,” Karls said. “This bill would be a step toward easing that problem.”
ACS CAN North Dakota Government Relations Director Ben Hanson noted the grassroots nature of the turnaround.
“We sincerely appreciate legislators helping put a human face to this issue,” Hanson said, noting the robust discussion on the floor Monday from Sens. Dick Dever (Bismarck), Judy Lee (West Fargo) and Ronald Sorvaag (Fargo) helped to bring clarity to the issue. “North Dakota is unique in that citizens have direct access to their legislators. It was encouraging to see the chair of Senate Human Services invite a local Bismarck parent of someone whose family is directly impacted by this issue to sit with her on the Senate floor while this issue was being voted on. You don’t get citizen interaction like that in most states.”
Following action on the Senate and House floors, the bill would proceed to Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s desk.
ACS CAN encourages individuals, businesses and organizations that are interested in getting involved in the fight against cancer to visit https://www.fightcancer.org/states/north-dakota