MINUTES OF THE meeting

of the

ASSEMBLY Committee on Government Affairs

 

Seventy-First Session

May 29, 2001

 

 

The Committee on Government Affairswas called to order at 9:37 a.m., on Tuesday, May 29, 2001.  Chairman Douglas Bache presided in Room 3143 of the Legislative Building, Carson City, Nevada.  Exhibit A is the Agenda.  Exhibit B is the Guest List.  All exhibits are available and on file at the Research Library of the Legislative Counsel Bureau.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Mr.                     Douglas Bache, Chairman

Mr.                     John J. Lee, Vice Chairman

Ms.                     Merle Berman

Mr.                     David Brown

Mr.                     Harry Mortenson

Mr.                     Roy Neighbors

Ms.                     Bonnie Parnell

Mr.                     Bob Price

Mrs.                     Debbie Smith

Ms.                     Kathy Von Tobel

Mr.                     Wendell Williams

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS EXCUSED:

 

Mrs.                     Vivian Freeman

Mrs.                     Dawn Gibbons

Mr.                     David Humke

 

STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:

 

Eileen O’Grady, Committee Counsel

Dave Ziegler, Committee Policy Analyst

Virginia Letts, Committee Secretary

 

OTHERS PRESENT:

 

Mary Lushina, Acting Director for the Governor’s Office for Consumer Health Assistance

 

 

Senate Bill 573:  Transfers office for hospital patients from department of business and industry to office of governor. (BDR 18-1545)

 

Mary Lushina, Acting Director for the Governor’s Office for Consumer Health Assistance testified the contents of S.B. 573 were originally in an Assembly bill during the 1999 Session that was never released by the committees.  Due to the lateness in the session, a combination of offices was not pursued at that time.  During the Governor’s Fundamental Review, the recommendation was that the Office for Hospital Patients be combined with the Governor’s Office for Health Assistance.  Nevada Revised Statute (NRS) 223 required the Office of Consumer Health Assistance to assist consumers in understanding their rights and responsibilities, identify investigative issues, resolve issues, and to counsel and educate consumers.  Combining the offices would allow consumers to have assistance with hospital billing issues as well as quality of care claims, benefits and other health care concerns.  The Office for Consumer Health Assistance has become the focal point for consumer health issues, encompassing the function of the Office for Hospital Patients, so combination of the offices would provide a focal point for all health assistance.  The office had two locations, one in Carson City and one in Las Vegas, serving consumers statewide.

 

Ms. Parnell stated her concern was the ombudsman position created in 1999 as it became entwined with the Public Employees Benefits Program (PEBP).  She felt adding additional hospital patients into that same situation would cause a loss of objectivity.  She mentioned the ombudsman because that position should look at everything objectively and when it became aligned with a particular group the objectivity was lost.

 

Ms. Lushina replied as acting director for the consumer health assistance her office was not involved in any way with PEBP.  Every individual issue was evaluated on a single basis to determine the needs of that individual.

 

Mr. Bache said he had the same concerns as Ms. Parnell about consolidation of power into one person who may or may not be looking out for the best interest of the people of the state of Nevada.  There were no checks and balances if the two offices were combined.

 

Ms. Von Tobel indicated she always received a report from the Office for Hospital Patients, which outlined the cases they had and how many were resolved.  It also indicated payments received and why there were some payments that were not received.  She wondered if that procedure would remain intact.  Ms. Lushina responded that would continue and there was a quarterly report that was submitted to both the Governor and the legislature.

 

Mr. Bache stated he still had concerns about the issue, but he would entertain a motion to rerefer the bill to Ways and Means without recommendation.  If it was handled in that manner he could accept it, as they were a committee in a position to review the entire situation.

 

ASSEMBLYMAN WILLIAMS MADE A MOTION TO REREFER S.B. 573 TO THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION.  

 

ASSEMBLYWOMAN VON TOBEL SECONDED THE MOTION.

 

THE MOTION CARRIED, ASSEMBLYWOMEN FREEMAN, GIBBONS AND ASSEMBLYMAN HUMKE WERE ABSENT FOR THE VOTE. 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 a.m.

 

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED:

 

 

 

Virginia Letts

Committee Secretary

 

 

APPROVED BY:

 

 

 

                       

Assemblyman Douglas Bache, Chairman

 

 

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