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ACLU sues Metro over treatment of deaf people at county jail
The ACLU of Nevada filed a federal lawsuit against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) on Jan. 11, claiming the Clark County Detention Center (CCDC) failed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the U.S. Constitution, and the Nevada Constitution in violation of the rights of deaf inmates. The ACLU […]
Harm-reduction program for mothers struggling with substance use expands to Northern NV
In 2015, Andria Peterson, a clinical pharmacist at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Las Vegas, noticed an increase in babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, or withdrawal from substances. Half of the babies in NICU were in withdrawal, Peterson said, recalling how a mother in labor was turned away because there wasn’t a […]
Health agencies stress need for more stable funding – both state and federal
Funding, funding, funding. That’s what a panel of health experts from Nevada Health Link, Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD), Division of Health Care Financing and Policy (DHCFP), and Immunize Nevada agreed Wednesday needs to be a focus for politicians and policymakers this year. Despite Nevada’s extensive and pained history with health outcomes, the state has […]
Nevada Health Exchange closes year with surplus
The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange, which oversees the virtual health care website, NevadaHealthLink.com under the Affordable Health Care Act, closed the 2023 fiscal year with over $11.5 million in cash reserves for the fiscal year 2024, and projects an annual cost-saving of 20% in the fiscal year 2024, according to the biannual Fiscal and […]
Nevada’s health care industry faring well; health care consumers, not so much
Nearly two-thirds of Nevadans experienced health care affordability burdens in 2022, forgoing health insurance, struggling to pay medical bills, and delaying medical visits for dental care, addiction treatment, and mental health care. The health care industry was doing well in 2022 though, according to a recent analysis by the United States of Care, a non-partisan […]
Rosen urges FTC to stop Kroger-Albertsons merger
Nevada Democratic U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen is urging Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan to block the merger between Kroger and Albertsons grocery. Both grocery retailers have a strong presence in Nevada. Kroger, the largest dedicated grocery chain in the U.S., operates 46 stores (as Smith’s) and employs 5,729 people in the state, but […]
Nevada Health Link warns against scams, misleading websites during open enrollment period
Open enrollment for health insurance starts and ends during the holiday season, and during these bustling times are scammers trying to take advantage of people shopping for insurance. “They’re taking advantage during open enrollment because we’re doing a lot of advertisement,” said Silver State Health Insurance Exchange spokesperson Katie Charleson in an interview. Scammers will […]
Cortez Masto sounds alarm over ‘far-right’ Supreme Court taking on abortion pill case
The U.S. Supreme Court’s announcement Wednesday that it would hear a case that will decide abortion pill access across the U.S. did not come as a surprise to Nevada Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. “We’ve seen the tragic consequences of abortion restrictions across the country and it started with this court,” Cortez Masto said […]
State urges people to complete Medicaid renewal packets; procedural denials resume Jan. 1
The Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS) encourages people to update their address and complete the Medicaid renewal packet for their eligibility to be reviewed. Denials for procedural causes, like incomplete paperwork and incorrect address information, will start on Jan. 1, 2024, for renewal packets mailed in November. Only the individuals who received […]
Cortez Masto joins bipartisan call for Medicare Advantage transparency
More than half of eligible Nevadans are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans — private insurer plans that the federal government contracts with, but those plans have been under increasing scrutiny. U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) penned a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid […]
Las Vegas mental health service agencies offer help after UNLV Shooting
Up to 95% of survivors of mass shootings experience PTSD in the aftermath, but supportive services and mental health resources can help improve outcomes for survivors, and resources are available in Las Vegas for those who need them in the wake of the shooting at UNLV shooting on Dec. 6 The Vegas Strong Resiliency […]
NV near the top of a bad list: Children without health insurance
About 55,000 children in Nevada were without health insurance in 2022, according to Census Bureau data. In 2022 Nevada tied with Arizona, Alaska and Wyoming as states with the second-highest percent of children without health insurance, at 8%. Only Texas, at 11%, had a higher percentage of uninsured children, according to recently updated data from […]