Health care bill passes Nevada legislative panel

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- A measure to fund health insurance policies for low-income pregnant women and employees of small Nevada companies has passed a legislative committee and has widespread bipartisan support, the bill's sponsor said.

" We need to try to take a bite out of the uninsured (numbers) in Nevada," said Assembly Majority Leader Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas.

The Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee on Wednesday backed Assembly Bill 493, which allocates money for health insurance policies for 2,500 pregnant women and provides $100-a.m.onth subsidies on policies for 2,000 employees who work for companies with fewer than 50 workers.

Money also would be used to cover costs of catastrophic health care incurred by low-income people. The insurance subsidy program would be expanded by 2,000 workers a year until 8,000 people are in the program.

To cover costs, $9 million a year would be taken from an existing property tax that covers medical costs of indigent people injured in car accidents. The indigent care program is expected to have a $32 million surplus by 2007 and needs only about $3 million a year to cover its costs.

Human Resources Director Mike Willden said the state can obtain as much as $45 million in matching federal Medicaid funds for the new health insurance programs. Gov. Kenny Guinn lauded the health insurance programs in his State of the State address in January.

Willden and other witnesses called it vital for pregnant women to receive prenatal health care. Often these women go to emergency rooms to give birth with no prior care.

" Showing up at an emergency room without having prenatal care is an enormous risk," added veteran lobbyist Robert Ostrovsky, representing Nevadans for Affordable Health Care.

Although conceding the programs only slightly reduce the number of uninsured people in the state, Ostrovsky called the plan a "wonderful step forward." Hospitals at least will be receiving some reimbursement for their services, rather than having to provide care for free, he said.

" It also encourages employees to do the right thing (and provide health insurance for workers)," he added. "Knowing you can go to a primary doctor and not stand in line in an emergency room is a huge step forward."

Support for the plan came from groups including the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and the Culinary Union.

No mention was made of concerns expressed two weeks ago by Sen. Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas. He noted that instead of adding new programs, the state could reduce or eliminate property taxes that fund the medical care program for indigent people hurt in car accidents.