BISMARCK – 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, according to the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.

The North Dakota Legislature’s Senate Industry and Business Committee on Wednesday took a 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’s primary sponsor is Sens. Scott Meyer of Grand Forks with Sens. Jeff Barta of Grand Forks, Brad Bekkedahl of Williston and Sean Cleary of Bismarck and Reps. Jonathan Warrey of Casselton and Jon Nelson of Rugby co-sponsoring. The bill now moves to the full Senate and, if passed, 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,” said Ben Hanson, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network North Dakota Government Relations director, in a news release. “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 to get approval to prescribe even the most routine medications and procedures, the release stated.

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.