Carson City June 09, 2021
Today, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Director Richard Whitley is proud to welcome the Patient Protection Commission to the Department. Through Nevada Assembly Bill 348, sponsored by Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton, the PPC has moved to DHHS to better support patients and connect the Commission more closely with the data and resources of DHHS. It also designates the Commission as the sole state agency responsible for administering Nevada’s participation in Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs.
The legislation was approved by Governor Steve Sisolak on May 28.
“The pandemic has brought to light the value of partnership and areas of improvement where we can better support Nevada patients,” said Director Whitley. “I look forward to the Patient Protection Commission joining our Department to ensure the voice of the patient is heard in all we do.”
The PPC was created through the 2019 Legislative Session and with AB 348 the Commission will transfer to the Department of Health and Human Services and membership of the Commission has been revised to include health care professionals, advocates and others to represent consumers and provide a patient perspective on the Commission. The Governor appoints the Commission’s executive director and members.
“The inaugural members of the Patient Protection Commission were vital to getting us to where we are today,” said PPC Executive Director Sara Cholhagian. “I am grateful for their work and dedication to the people of Nevada and the policy discussed, questions asked and ideas brought forward have all contributed to the legislation sponsored by the Commission this Session. I look forward to the next steps of the Commission and working with DHHS.”
In addition to AB 348 related to the Patient Protection Commission, the Commission put forward Senate Bills 5 and 40 for consideration in the 2021 Legislative Session.
“The passage of these bills are landmark achievements for the State’s public health system, providing patients with more information and access than ever before. This is the reason Governor Sisolak created the Patient Protection Commission and now the members and lawmakers have fulfilled that promise with measures that will improve the lives of Nevada patients,” said Executive Director Cholhagian.
SB 5 improves patient and equitable access to telehealth services by establishing telehealth policy for payment parity beyond the coronavirus pandemic. The legislation also creates a public data dashboard that will allow for the analysis of data relating to access to telehealth. This data collection is a first step to measure telehealth access that will ensure the State evaluates policies to make access more equitable.
SB 40 provides more transparency in health care for Nevada patients. This bill creates a state-funded all-payer claims database (APCD) and mandates the collection of data from any public or private insurer that provides health benefits in Nevada while also encouraging the voluntary submission of data by insurers regulated under federal law. The database provides a new capacity for the State to monitor and regulate the rapidly changing health care system that will improve health care of Nevada residents and the accessibility, affordability and quality of health care in the state.
To apply to the Patient Protection Commission or other Governor-appointed board go to gov.nv.gov/Board/Home_Board/ to review the list of vacancies and complete an application.
For more information on the Patient Protection Commission go to ppc.nv.gov
For more information on the Peterson-Milbank Program for Sustainable Health Care Costs go to milbank.org/focus-area/sustainable-health-care-costs/