NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — Health leaders in North Dakota are urging lawmakers to fix a growing problem that they say is delaying patient care: prior authorizations.

Prior authorizations are insurance requirements that must be met before certain treatments or prescriptions are approved. What was once used for specialized care has now become common for basic services, even for patients already on long-term medications.

Healthcare providers say the process is taking up more and more of their time. In some clinics, doctors spend up to 14 hours a week filling out paperwork. Some facilities have even hired extra staff just to manage the approval process.

These delays can have serious consequences. In some cases, patients have waited several weeks, even up to a month, for insurance approval — delays that can be especially harmful for those with fast-moving illnesses like cancer.

Senate Bill 2280 is now moving through the state legislature with the aim of speeding up the process. It would require insurance companies to respond to urgent care requests within 72 hours and to non-urgent requests within seven business days.

Essentia Health director, Nathan Svihovec, said, “Right now, there are no time frames. So these are big critical components that put some guardrails on it.”

The bill would also make sure only licensed physicians can deny a request, not business analysts or AI.

Supporters say the change would reduce red tape, return time to doctors, and get patients the care they need faster. Similar reforms have already passed in other states.

However, not everyone agrees. A national dental group opposes the bill, saying it would disrupt how dental plans operate and could lead to higher costs.

Still, supporters argue the reform is overdue. They say it will bring consistency to the system and help patients avoid harmful delays.

“By streamlining this process, we’ll make sure patients hear back sooner — and get treatment sooner,” said Ben Hanson with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.