Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 6–Committee on

Health and Human Services

FILE NUMBER........

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

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

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

until they become so ill that they must be hospitalized before seeking

necessary health care services; and

Whereas, The Department of Human Resources has established the

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

program; and

Whereas, Various factors have contributed to the lack of participation

in the Children’s Health Insurance Program, including an insufficient effort

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

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

can relate to and understand; and

Whereas, Studies indicate that community-based organizations and

essential community providers are successful in reaching out to low-income

families, communicating with such families and assisting them in enrolling

their children in programs such as the Children’s Health Insurance

Program; and

Whereas, The Nevada Legislature recognizes the need to ensure the

enrollment of the maximum number of children in this state who are

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

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

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

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

Concurring, That the Nevada Legislature hereby encourages the

Department of Human Resources to enter into agreements with community-

based organizations and essential community providers to assist the

Department in reaching out to families who may be eligible to obtain health

insurance for their children from the Children’s Health Insurance Program

and to provide incentives to such organizations and providers that

successfully enroll children in the program. Such agreements and

incentives may include, without limitation:

1. Entering into agreements with community-based organizations and

essential community providers to have the organizations and providers

make determinations of eligibility for the Children’s Health Insurance

Program;

2. Entering into agreements with community-based organizations and

essential community providers to engage in specific outreach programs to

targeted communities; and

3. Providing a monetary incentive to community-based organizations

and essential community providers who successfully enroll a child in the

program; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and transmit a

copy of this resolution to the Director of the Department of Human

Resources.

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