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One-sixth of vetoes by Nevada governor were health care related
Legislation lowering prescription drug costs, giving long-term substitute teachers insurance stipends, and protecting doctors who provide gender-affirming care all met Gov. Joe Lombardo’s veto stamp this legislative session. In all, 12 health care bills were among the 75 pieces of legislation the governor rejected. Chief among the health care bill vetoes was Senate Bill 419, […]
Fentanyl bill criminalizing possession follows fear, not science, critics warn
A bill backed by Nevada Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford that criminalizes substance mistreatment also penalizes people for having substantially lower amounts of illegal substances than the felony thresholds in federal law. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo signed the bill Friday. Ford’s bill, SB 35, echoes a national trend of legislation criminalizing fentanyl use — reverting […]
Nevada lands near bottom of list ranking child well-being
Nevada ranks 47th in child well-being among all states, only ahead of Mississippi, Louisiana, and New Mexico, according to the 2023 KIDS COUNT Data Book. The report released Wednesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzes household data from the previous four years to assess how children and families are faring across the nation. The […]
Cost to Medicaid of prescription drugs more than doubles over 5 years, state report shows
The amount spent on medications through Medicaid in Nevada increased 126% from 2017 to 2022, according to a state report on prescription drug pricing. The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) annual Drug Transparency Report tracks drug manufacturer costs and profits, financial assistance and rebates for prescriptions, sales representatives’ compensation, Medicaid spending on […]
Thousands of Nevadans’ health coverage in limbo as Friday Health Plans placed in receivership
Nevada Insurance Commissioner Scott Kipper filed for regulatory supervision of Friday Health Plans of Nevada, which has over 2,800 individuals in the state, after the company announced last week that it will “wind down…business operations.” In addition to Nevada, the company, which was available through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, had thousands of customers in […]
Legislature passes bill extending Medicare-negotiated drug prices to all Nevadans
Legislation that builds on lower drug prices negotiated through the federal Inflation Reduction Act and extends those price caps to all Nevadans, even those not on Medicare, is headed for Gov. Joe Lombardo’s desk. The bill passed the Assembly 27 to 15 in April, mostly along partisan lines with only Democratic Assemblymember Bea Duran voting […]
Legislature approves permanent expansion of telehealth services
Despite opposition from the Nevada Association of Health Plans, a statewide trade association representing insurance companies, a temporary pandemic-era law that expanded access to health care passed the Nevada Legislature this week with a constitutional majority. Senate Bill 119 would continue telehealth access by requiring third-party insurers to cover telehealth at the same rates as […]
Legislature passes health care stipends for substitute teachers
The Nevada Legislature has passed a bill that provides long-term substitute teachers who work for 30 or more days with a $450 monthly subsidy to purchase health care. The state Senate voted 16-4 Tuesday to approve the bill. It passed the Assembly in April by a vote of 31-11. Assembly Republicans Gregory Koenig, Heidi Kasama […]
Measure to enhance Medicaid reimbursements touted as big help for little hospitals
A bill for expanding state Medicaid reimbursement for rural hospitals received bipartisan support despite an increase in cost for Nevada at a Senate Finance Committee meeting last week. The bill, Senate Bill 241, would require Nevada Medicaid to pay the hospitals the cost of the service for outpatient services and administratively flexible “swing beds” for […]
Health care workforce measure progresses despite pushback from governor, corporate hospitals
A bill sponsored by the Patient Protection Commission is making its way through the legislature despite pushback from the governor’s office. The measure, Assembly Bill 11, would prohibit corporate hospitals and hospital systems from directly hiring physicians. Nevada hospitals have long refrained from directly hiring physicians, opting instead to hire them as independent contractors. The […]
How a pharmacy aims to surmount barriers to LGBTQ+ care
In a metropolitan area where a CVS or a Walgreen’s is seemingly on every other corner, it might be hard to imagine communities without close access to a pharmacy. But though often associated with rural areas, metro areas also have pharmacy “deserts.” Geography might be only one factor that limits access to medications for some […]
Senate Finance Committee pushes 988 funding through despite opposition from Republicans
Nevada is one of only five states that passed legislation to fund the 988 National Suicide Prevention programming, but a loophole in the law establishing that fee could significantly limit the amount of money the state would have to build out the crisis care system. The Senate Finance Committee last week passed Senate Bill 237, […]