EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

1-1 Whereas, Statistics indicate that per capita the State of Nevada has one

1-2 of the highest rates of persons without health insurance in the country; and

1-3 Whereas, Persons who do not have health insurance will often wait

1-4 until they become so ill that they must be hospitalized before seeking

1-5 necessary health care services; and

1-6 Whereas, The Department of Human Resources has established the

1-7 Children’s Health Insurance Program pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §§ 1397aa to

1-8 1397jj, inclusive, which is a jointly funded program with the federal

1-9 government to provide low-cost health insurance to children from low-

1-10 income families in this state that do not have health insurance; and

1-11 Whereas, It has been estimated that of the at least 25,000 children and

1-12 teenagers who would qualify for health insurance under the Children’s

1-13 Health Insurance Program, only 12 percent have actually enrolled in the

1-14 program; and

1-15 Whereas, Various factors have contributed to the lack of participation

1-16 in the Children’s Health Insurance Program, including an insufficient

1-17 effort

2-1 to reach out to eligible persons in the communities where they live and

2-2 work to explain the benefits of the program in a manner that the persons

2-3 can relate to and understand; and

2-4 Whereas, Studies indicate that community-based organizations and

2-5 essential community providers are successful in reaching out to low-

2-6 income families, communicating with such families and assisting them in

2-7 enrolling their children in programs such as the Children’s Health

2-8 Insurance Program; and

2-9 Whereas, The Nevada Legislature recognizes the need to ensure the

2-10 enrollment of the maximum number of children in this state who are

2-11 eligible for the Children’s Health Insurance Program to protect the well-

2-12 being of the children in this state and to continue to offer this important

2-13 benefit to low-income families in this state; now, therefore, be it

2-14 Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

2-15 Concurring, That the Nevada Legislature hereby encourages the

2-16 Department of Human Resources to enter into agreements with

2-17 community-based organizations and essential community providers to

2-18 assist the Department in reaching out to families who may be eligible to

2-19 obtain health insurance for their children from the Children’s Health

2-20 Insurance Program and to provide incentives to such organizations and

2-21 providers that successfully enroll children in the program. Such

2-22 agreements and incentives may include, without limitation:

2-23 1. Entering into agreements with community-based organizations and

2-24 essential community providers to have the organizations and providers

2-25 make determinations of eligibility for the Children’s Health Insurance

2-26 Program;

2-27 2. Entering into agreements with community-based organizations and

2-28 essential community providers to engage in specific outreach programs to

2-29 targeted communities; and

2-30 3. Providing a monetary incentive to community-based organizations

2-31 and essential community providers who successfully enroll a child in the

2-32 program; and be it further

2-33 Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and transmit

2-34 a copy of this resolution to the Director of the Department of Human

2-35 Resources.