Cost of health proposal debated

Art Nadler

Wednesday, April 21, 1999 | 11:01 a.m.

The main advocate of a bill that would give Clark County the authority to set up its own health care system disputes arguments that the initiative will cost the state millions of dollars.

The Senate on Monday voted to send Senate Bill 520 to the Senate Finance Committee because the state Department of Human Resources said the bill would carry a $99 million price tag for fiscal year 2000 and $98 million in fiscal year 2001.

Any bill requiring taxpayer dollars is referred to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration.

Bill Hale, chief executive officer of University Medical Center, who proposed the plan, said the bill would cost the state nothing this session. All he is asking of the Legislature, he said, is the authority to seek a federal waiver to allow Clark County to form an organized health system, similar to health maintenance organizations.

The state Medicaid program and the Nevada Check-Up program for poor children who don't qualify for Medicaid would be placed under such a county health care system, he said.

That would allow the county to qualify for federal matching funds from $10 million to $30 million that the state hasn't tried to get, Hale said. He might approach the Legislature in two years to come up with some matching funds, he said, but that's not the intent of SB520 now.

"I'm concerned," Hale said. "We need to get clear that there is no cost to the state now. I think somebody is trying to kill this bill. The quicker we can get it into the Assembly, the quicker we can get it passed this session."

But Charlotte Crawford, director of the state Department of Human Resources, said this is an issue of matching dollars, and the state would have to come up with $197 million so all the counties could participate.