Laura Rich

Bill seeks coverage for gender-affirming procedures advocates call ‘anything but cosmetic’

On Wednesday, state lawmakers held a hearing on proposed legislation that would mandate health insurance, including Medicaid, cover all medically necessary gender-affirming treatments.

A politically connected testing company had contracts across Nevada. Its tests didn’t work.

State and local officials across Nevada signed agreements with Northshore Clinical Labs, a COVID testing laboratory run by men with local political connections. There was only one problem: Its tests didn’t work.

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State ends employee COVID testing, rolls back fees for unvaccinated

State officials are lifting a requirement that unvaccinated employees undergo weekly COVID-19 tests, while also preparing to roll back a planned monthly surcharge for state workers who have not received a COVID vaccine.

Vaccine mandates for college students, employees poised to extend into 2022

A vote by regents and a judicial ruling made Friday could extend both mandates well into next year.

State workers who remain unvaccinated by July will pay monthly surcharges

Nevada became the first state to impose a $55 monthly surcharge for state workers who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine following approval by the state Public Employees Benefit Program (PEBP).

Unvaccinated state workers could face monthly surcharges

State employees who remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 may soon be required to pay up to $55 in monthly insurance surcharges to help recoup testing costs.

Budget committee passes surprise ‘premium holiday’ for public employee health plans

Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton (D-Las Vegas), chair of the Ways and Means Committee, announced a plan during a Friday joint budget meeting to give participants in the Public Employees Benefits’ Program (PEBP) a one-month “premium holiday” during which enrollees don’t have to pay their share of their health insurance costs. That would apply to about 44,000 active and retired public employees, according to legislative staff.

Proposed state employee health insurance cuts leads to state workers pushback

Amid a slew of cuts attempting to mitigate projected budget shortfalls in a state largely dependent on tourism and gaming for revenue, state employees are protesting proposed changes that would reduce health care coverage options provided by the state.

Audit: Group health plan for state workers ignored bidding rules, engaged in ‘wasteful spending’

An audit report released last week by the Legislative Counsel Bureau’s Audit Division into the contract management practices of the Public Employees Benefits Program, or PEBP, found that leadership of the health insurance program consistently failed to follow state laws and policies requiring contracts be put out to bid every four years, choosing instead to extend contracts in violation of normal practices for state agencies.

The Nevada Independent