Assembly Bill No. 137–Committee on
Government Affairs

 

(On Behalf of the Office of Consumer
Health Assistance)

 

February 14, 2003

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Government Affairs

 

SUMMARY—Revises reporting requirements of Bureau for Hospital Patients within Office for Consumer Health Assistance. (BDR 18‑474)

 

FISCAL NOTE:  Effect on Local Government: No.

                           Effect on the State: No.

 

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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 Office of the Governor; revising the requirements for the submission of a report to the Governor and the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau concerning the Bureau for Hospital Patients within the Office for Consumer Health Assistance; 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. NRS 223.575 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2  223.575  1.  The Bureau for Hospital Patients is hereby created

1-3  within the Office for Consumer Health Assistance in the Office of

1-4  the Governor.

1-5  2.  The Director:

1-6  (a) Is responsible for the operation of the Bureau, which must be

1-7  easily accessible to the clientele of the Bureau.

1-8  (b) Shall appoint and supervise such additional employees as are

1-9  necessary to carry out the duties of the Bureau. The employees of

1-10  the Bureau are in the unclassified service of the State.

2-1  (c) [Shall] On or before February 1 of each year, shall submit

2-2  a written report [quarterly] to the Governor, and to the Director of

2-3  the Legislative [Committee on Health Care] Counsel Bureau

2-4  concerning the activities of the Bureau[, including,] for Hospital

2-5  Patients for transmittal to the appropriate committee or

2-6  committees of the Legislature. The report must include, without

2-7  limitation, the number of complaints received by the Bureau, the

2-8  number and type of disputes heard, mediated, arbitrated or resolved

2-9  through alternative means of dispute resolution by the Director and

2-10  the outcome of the mediation, arbitration or alternative means of

2-11  dispute resolution.

2-12      3.  The Director may, upon request made by either party, hear,

2-13  mediate, arbitrate or resolve by alternative means of dispute

2-14  resolution disputes between patients and hospitals. The Director

2-15  may decline to hear a case that in his opinion is trivial, without merit

2-16  or beyond the scope of his jurisdiction. The Director may hear,

2-17  mediate, arbitrate or resolve through alternative means of dispute

2-18  resolution disputes regarding:

2-19      (a) The accuracy or amount of charges billed to a patient;

2-20      (b) The reasonableness of arrangements made pursuant to

2-21  paragraph (c) of subsection 1 of NRS 439B.260; and

2-22      (c) Such other matters related to the charges for care provided to

2-23  a patient as the Director determines appropriate for arbitration,

2-24  mediation or other alternative means of dispute resolution.

2-25      4.  The decision of the Director is a final decision for the

2-26  purpose of judicial review.

2-27      5.  Each hospital, other than federal and state hospitals, with 49

2-28  or more licensed or approved hospital beds shall pay an annual

2-29  assessment for the support of the Bureau. On or before July 15 of

2-30  each year, the Director shall notify each hospital of its assessment

2-31  for the fiscal year. Payment of the assessment is due on or before

2-32  September 15. Late payments bear interest at the rate of 1 percent

2-33  per month or fraction thereof.

2-34      6.  The total amount assessed pursuant to subsection 5 for a

2-35  fiscal year must be $100,000 adjusted by the percentage change

2-36  between January 1, 1991, and January 1 of the year in which the

2-37  fees are assessed, in the Consumer Price Index (All Items) published

2-38  by the United States Department of Labor.

2-39      7.  The total amount assessed must be divided by the total

2-40  number of patient days of care provided in the previous calendar

2-41  year by the hospitals subject to the assessment. For each hospital,

2-42  the assessment must be the result of this calculation multiplied by its

2-43  number of patient days of care for the preceding calendar year.

 

 

3-1  Sec. 2.  This act becomes effective upon passage and approval.

 

3-2  H