Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities
SUMMARY--Requires that medical assistance provided by county to indigent persons include dental care under certain circumstances. (BDR 38-1205)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: Yes.
Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: No.
EXPLANATION - Matter in italics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is material to be omitted.
AN ACT relating to medical care for indigent persons; requiring that medical assistance provided by a county to indigent persons include dental care under certain circumstances; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1 NRS 428.015 is hereby amended to read as follows:
428.015 1. The board of county commissioners shall adopt an ordinance and any related policies which establish the requirements and standards of eligibility for medical and financial assistance to indigent persons. The ordinance and policies must specify the allowable income, assets and other resources or potential resources of persons eligible for assistance, and any other requirements applicable to an applicant for assistance. The board of county commissioners shall file the ordinance and policies with the secretary of state within 30 days after adoption. Any amendment to the ordinance or policies must be filed with the secretary of state within 30 days after adoption.
2. A county's standards of eligibility for medical assistance must not deny eligibility to a person living in a household which has a total monthly income of less than:
(a) For one person living without another member of a household, $438.
(b) For two persons, $588.
(c) For three or more persons, $588 plus $150 for each person in the family in excess of two.
For the purposes of this subsection, "income" includes the entire income of a household and the amount which a county projects a person or household is able to earn. "Household" is limited to a person and his spouse, parents, children, brothers and sisters residing with him.
3. A county's program of medical assistance to indigent persons must provide payment for:
(a) Dental care, if the care is needed because of an injury sustained in an accident or as a result of a criminal act against the person needing the care;
(b) Emergency medical care; and
[(b)] (c) All other medically necessary care rendered in a medical facility designated by the county.
4. As used in this section:
(a) "Dental care" means any dental service, treatment or appliance necessary to restore the person to his condition before the accident or criminal act. The term does not include preventive care, orthodontic services or cosmetic services.
(b) "Emergency medical care" means any care for an urgent medical condition which is likely to result in serious and permanent bodily disability or death if the patient is transported to a medical facility designated by the county.
[(b)] (c) "Medically necessary care" does not include any experimental or investigative medical care which is not covered by Medicaid or Medicare.
Sec. 2 The provisions of subsection 1 of NRS 354.599 do not apply to any additional expenses of a local government that are related to the provisions of this act.