Committee backs bill to ensure long‑term care insurance covers residents in North Dakota "basic care" settings

Senate Bill 2172, which clarifies how long‑term care insurance policies apply to certain North Dakota licensed facilities, received a unanimous do‑pass recommendation from the Senate Industry and Business Committee after testimony from the Insurance Department, long‑term care provider groups and industry associations.

Senator Dale Padden introduced the bill, saying it updates Century Code language to reflect modern facility types and to prevent insurers from denying claims on the basis of outdated facility descriptions such as the former generic term “nursing home.” Crystal Bartuska, Life and Health Division Director at the North Dakota Insurance Department, told the committee that the department has received numerous consumer complaints in recent years about denied claims where carriers denied benefits because of the facility licensure designation rather than the consumer’s…