Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed Senate Bill 420 on Wednesday, which will create a health care public option to reduce costs and make comprehensive health care affordable for all Nevadans.
Nevada is the second state in the country to enact a public option.
Physicians say the bill will also create a more sustainable and stable health care system in Nevada for small businesses, hospitals and providers, as well as including low-income communities and BIPOC communities.
Under the proposal, physicians will continue to negotiate reimbursement rates with health plans as they currently do.
Participating health plans must pay providers rates that are comparable to or better than Medicare rates, which can provide critical support to financially strapped hospitals and physicians in rural areas that are more likely to care for patients on Medicaid or who are uninsured and face low cash flows.
The Nevada Public Option does not set, cap or limit physician or hospital reimbursement rates.
“After a difficult year for Nevadans, Governor Sisolak’s signing of the Nevada Public Option into law gives us renewed hope for the future,” New Day Nevada Executive Director Martin Fitzgerald said. “Healthcare has always been a concern for many Nevadans and addressing its high costs has been long overdue. Thanks to the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Cannizzaro, Speaker Frierson and Governor Sisolak, Nevada can now deliver on the promise of driving down the cost of healthcare and expanding affordable coverage to working Nevadans across the state.”
“Too many Nevadans have walked into clinics and hospitals not knowing how they would be able to afford their care,” said Dr. Randi Lampert, a Las Vegas pediatrician. “Too many have had to skip their doctor’s appointments and lose out on preventative care because they needed to provide food for their families or pay the rent. Today’s signing of the Nevada Public Option will improve the lives of all Nevadans by addressing our consistently high uninsured rates, exploding healthcare costs and poor outcomes by prioritizing value-based care that improves healthcare access and affordability to the benefit of Nevada families.”
“As physicians, we’re grateful to Gov. Sisolak for signing the Nevada Public Option into law to provide real relief to families across our state, as well as to hospitals and health care providers who will have a larger pool of insured patients,” said Dr. Nita Schwartz, emergency physician and hospice care medical director in Carson Valley. “This exemplary law makes Nevada a leader in the nation on health care once again, and will have a profound impact on the lives of the residents of this state. For my patients who have delayed care or skipped their medications because they couldn’t afford to incur huge medical bills, the Nevada Public Option means they can see a doctor and get tests that can improve and save their lives. People deserve to have quality health care without worrying about medical debt and medical bankruptcy.”
