(REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)

 

Senate Bill No. 167–Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

(On Behalf of Task Force for the Fund for a Healthy Nevada)

 

February 15, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities

 

SUMMARY—Requires Department of Human Resources to study expansion of program of subsidies to senior citizens for prescription drugs and pharmaceutical services to include certain persons with disabilities. (BDR S‑827)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                             Effect on the State: Yes.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to the administration of public health; requiring the Department of Human Resources to review the advisability of expanding the program for providing subsidies to senior citizens who purchase insurance coverage for prescription drugs and pharmaceutical services to include certain persons with disabilities; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. 1.  The Department of Human Resources shall review the

1-2  advisability of expanding the program established pursuant to NRS

1-3  439.665 for providing subsidies to senior citizens who purchase insurance

1-4  coverage for prescription drugs and pharmaceutical services to include

1-5  persons with disabilities.

1-6    2.  The Department shall obtain actuarial projections of:

1-7    (a) The costs of the program if limited to senior citizens;

1-8    (b) The costs of the program if expanded to include persons with

1-9  disabilities;

1-10  (c) The cost per participant in each group;

1-11  (d) The number of persons who would receive benefits under the

1-12  current program if it is not modified; and

1-13  (e) The number of persons who would receive benefits under the

1-14  program if it is expanded to include persons with

1-15  disabilities,

1-16  through December 2005. The review must include projections of the fiscal

1-17  impact on the fund for a healthy Nevada of expanding the program to

2-1  include persons with disabilities and a determination of the number of

2-2  senior citizens being served by the current program.

2-3    3.  For the purposes of the review conducted pursuant to this section,

2-4  the Department shall assume:

2-5    (a) “Person with a disability” means a person who is domiciled in this

2-6  state and who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits

2-7  one or more of the major life activities of the person.

2-8    (b) The income levels specified in NRS 439.665 would apply to both

2-9  senior citizens and persons with disabilities. For the purposes of that

2-10  section, “household income” means, with respect to a person with a

2-11  disability who is not also a senior citizen:

2-12      (1) If the person with a disability is a child, the income received by

2-13  the parents of the person with a disability.

2-14      (2) If the person with a disability is not a child, the income received

2-15  by the person with a disability plus the income received by that person’s

2-16  spouse, if any.

2-17  (c) A senior citizen who is also a person with a disability may, if

2-18  otherwise qualified for the subsidy, receive one subsidy as either a senior

2-19  citizen or as a person with a disability, but is not eligible to receive a

2-20  subsidy based upon both characteristics.

2-21  4.  The Department shall submit:

2-22  (a) A report of the progress of the review conducted pursuant to this

2-23  section to the Legislative Committee on Health Care before July 1, 2002;

2-24  and

2-25  (b) Its final report, including any recommendations, to the Budget

2-26  Division of the Department of Administration before September 1, 2002,

2-27  and to the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau before

2-28  January 1, 2003.

2-29  Sec. 2.   This act becomes effective on July 1, 2001.

 

2-30  H