[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6291700,"mediaKeyId","2529503-35e86e564687ff4eaa2a22e7df10e1f0","parentId",2529503,"title","Nevada Health Authority presentation outlines centralized purchasing and claims database; board seeks detail on data protections and board role","audioSeconds",1436,"startMs",2603000,"endMs",4039000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2529503-35e86e564687ff4eaa2a22e7df10e1f0&start=2603&end=4039","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2529503-35e86e564687ff4eaa2a22e7df10e1f0/thumbnail_2603000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6291700/Nevada/Nevada-Health-Authority-presentation-outlines-centralized-purchasing-and-claims-database-board-seeks-detail-on-data-protections-and-board-role","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6291700-ccdb6d3c356a3d54718602ff5d42a33f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770788915&Signature=jiudx-LJL41ghXuRr3AX~7OUGoJO6LYzfVaBdt1TiKzbw7taeTinxBM-B~OTP~Jfu9QusP0PXZng-Pcontq9oDd-IykkOjFvrqGMtnZSoI-XAtRqrM92fq~-Gcgo3i-ltC2uYvQtCoqZsKpTrH6pW3XSTakt77eQIO~GvlluzA--vyDV7uES6BV-4P0yAc33K0PtBPt4dwQfKzHhj6nUDAUzR2N1~b-Zqe7xxSCy-Uety30w7s7rSWZVjTgEkMwY78NxaEOHO4CVnYtZRj~QHvxxK8KUVbgrIYDVG9iJ6yd8YPT2tMD6yGzH6U025dR9NJU~2YpgCGj6C-Q13qq2PQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Public Employees Benefits Program, NV","date","2025-03-08T07:19:03Z","article","Stacy Weeks, administrator for the proposed Nevada Health Authority, presented an informational briefing to the Public Employees Benefits Program board describing a proposed structure that would consolidate payer and regulatory functions and provide shared purchasing, analytic and pharmacy resources to state health programs.

Weeks said the proposal would not immediately change benefits or apply Medicaid payment rates to other markets; rather, it would give PEBP access to analytic capacity, pharmacy purchasing strategies and an all‑payer claims database that could inform population-health work and contracting strategies. “This is not to apply the Medicaid program to any other market,” Weeks said, adding the intent is to “leverage smart ideas and smart strategies” and to give PEBP more capacity for negotiating networks and bringing competition to state procurements.

Why it matters: PEBP covers state employees and retirees and has limited market leverage with some providers and vendors. The Nevada Health Authority proposal aims to centralize purchasing power and data to improve network adequacy, reduce duplicative vendor contracts and enable cross-market contracting strategies that could affect costs and access over time.

Key elements described

Weeks outlined components legislators saw in a proposed BDR: a purchasing unit with independent authority to recommend purchasing strategies; an office to oversee an all‑payer claims database; a health‑care quality and licensure unit; an inspector general for Medicaid; and a separate Department of Human Services to house direct provider services. She said the health authority would include the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange and could give PEBP technical access to pharmacy teams, actuaries and procurement staff.

Board concerns: data privacy and board role

Board members asked how PEBP participant data would be protected. Michelle Kelly, a board member, said employees frequently ask about confidentiality. Weeks replied that “there’s nothing that’s gonna change that’s currently happening today” and that any data-sharing would remain subject to HIPAA and other privacy laws; she described the all‑payer claims database as a tool that jurisdictions and plans are already expected to report to and said the authority would use aggregated analyses to inform purchasing and population-health strategies.

Members also asked how the PEBP board’s role would change. Weeks said the PEBP board would be maintained, would continue to recommend hires and be consulted on strategies; the authority, she said, would not unilaterally alter statutory duties without the board’s sign-off and necessary statutory changes.

Next steps and cautions

Weeks said a BDR and budget proposal were expected during the legislative session and that specifics could change as bills and budget language are drafted. She emphasized that any purchasing or structural changes would require board consideration and, where statutes must be changed, the regular legislative process. Several board members expressed openness to the proposal’s potential benefits (including improved competition and vendor consolidation) while noting the need for more detail on data security, consumer protections and the mechanics of shared procurement.

Ending note

Weeks offered to meet with board members individually and present follow-up modeling and options. The board asked staff to keep members informed as legislative drafts emerge and to request clarifying detail on governance, data security and timelines before any statutory changes are finalized.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","PEBP Board Meeting - Legislative Update: 3/7/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Stacy Weeks, administrator for the proposed Nevada Health Authority, presented an informational briefing to the Public Employees Benefits Program (PEBP) board describing a proposed central purchasing and analytic authority that would include an all‑payer claims database and the state’s insurance exchange.","taxTitle","Public Employees Benefits Program Board Meeting, Executive Agencies, Organizations, Executive, Nevada","taxId",26826,"location","Nevada","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6291704,"PEBP board reviews 2025 bills; public commenters urge opposition to AB22 and SB32, support for AB188",1037,176000,1213000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2529503-35e86e564687ff4eaa2a22e7df10e1f0&start=176&end=1213","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2529503-35e86e564687ff4eaa2a22e7df10e1f0/thumbnail_176000.jpg","/articles/6291704/Nevada/PEBP-board-reviews-2025-bills-public-commenters-urge-opposition-to-AB22-and-SB32-support-for-AB188","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6291704-9cb5aa60cea3dbbae47f2eb2194a4dd8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770788915&Signature=YFJL0Hvc7q5xdPqBp7gMkSw45LTqGjmZHjNpAExDQ0MPvgYGfFAz2zXwj9qsnoLeWnDsspB8-RzxVqOA-FADfjukDIS3z5yDHwbQ5gKUWKsAUQHG7bbQr8pEalSUrFT-0Zla8A7qwThV2lnmUqbNsX4MgtVe0zYy-tCBBfodBCKHMloIpqn7r-GzvMGRJfyYcTA6xzp2Uo3nZFC13mNuTlcBF2de31RUrETy~3CdVDrpDvEGd-zs4xAeJzXMR0aSwXvTQBqpEIzM5pBg4by5yfNbClN9VELJ4LNfeAutZSGlKbb9uJAqiRY-CPZiXmuH3yS5MT4K2ckYQy8lduWSag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Public Employees Benefits Program (PEBP) board discussed a list of 2025 legislative proposals that staff say could affect plan operations and costs, with public commenters urging the board to oppose two PEBP-sponsored bills and back a bill to restore retiree health subsidies.

Public commenters told the board they oppose Assembly Bill 22 and Senate Bill 32 as introduced and asked the PEBP board to take a formal position opposing them while urging support for Assembly Bill 188, which would restore a retiree health subsidy for employees hired after 2011. Kent Irvin, representing the Nevada Faculty Alliance, said the bills “chip away at the independence and authority of the PEP board to act as guardians and fiduciaries of the employee benefits plan.” Doug Unger, UNLV chapter president of the Nevada Faculty Alliance, told the board he and faculty are “incredibly nervous” about proposed moves to place PEBP under a Nevada Health Authority and urged the board to seek clarity from staff on the transition.

Why it matters: PEBP covers state employees and retirees and changes to procurement or reporting structures could affect how benefits are purchased and administered and how grievances and quality issues are handled. Several speakers and some board members said the proposals raise questions about PEBP’s independence, contracting authority and future costs.

Staff briefing and fiscal estimates

Celestina Glover, executive officer for PEBP, presented a bill-tracking table and described two agency bills: AB22, intended to streamline procurement and align PEBP with other state agencies’ contracting timelines, and SB32, proposed to move the quality-control (QC) officer position under the PEBP executive officer. Glover said AB22 is not intended to remove board oversight: “we would continue to bring the request for the RFP to the board in the first place” and the bill would change statutory language to require at least one board member on evaluation committees.

On SB32, Glover told the board that the QC officer’s role has shifted from an auditing function toward education, communication and an ombuds-like role; the bill would reflect that change by relocating the QC position under the executive officer. Glover said PEBP already undergoes multiple audits (annual financial audits, vendor audits and biannual compliance reviews) and that the change reflects the current duties of the QC position rather than restoring an auditor-style separation.

Fiscal notes and retiree-benefit estimates

Glover told the board that using current fiscal notes for the first 40 tracked bills yields illustrative costs of about $25.8 million in the first year, $30.1 million in the second year and $65.4 million in future biennia if every bill were enacted as currently drafted. She also discussed AB188, which would restore retiree health benefits for employees hired after 2011: PEB staff cited an OPEB (other postemployment benefits) liability estimate that rises from about $1.46 billion to $1.64 billion in the agency’s fiscal note if AB188 were to pass. Glover said PEBP estimates as many as 73 employees could become eligible as early as 2027 under a 15-year threshold, and that the agency projected a need for four additional staff in future biennia to manage added retiree workload; she also noted a 10–12 year window in which retiree counts could grow to about 1,000 in some scenarios depending on past local government service and other factors.

Board questions and concerns

Board members requested more detail on marked fiscal notes. Laura Rich asked about AB169’s fiscal note and said the $3.3 million figure “seems really, really high.” Glover explained the number is a conservative worst‑case calculation based on removing a 90-visit annual limit and assuming a high-utilization scenario (staff cited an approximate per-visit cost of $79.95 and a hypothetical up-to-250-visits-per-year scenario). Michelle Kelly urged staff to create a historical tracking table that matches legislation passed in prior sessions to the eventual cost realized by PEBP; Glover said PEBP tracks legislation but has not yet compiled a multi-session cost-history and agreed to prepare that analysis.

Several board members emphasized fiduciary concerns about contracting. Michelle Kelly and others said contracting is a core fiduciary duty under Nevada Revised Statutes and suggested the board should see request-for-proposals (RFPs) or scope-of-work language even if some procurement steps are streamlined by statute.

Positions and next steps

Several public commenters and board members urged formal opposition to AB22 and SB32 and support for AB188; staff and at least one staff speaker reminded the board that state policy typically requires agencies to testify neutrally and that individual staff cannot be directed to oppose legislation. No formal motion or vote was taken on any bill at the meeting. Glover said PEBP will continue to update the board on tracked bills and agreed to provide follow-up analyses requested by members, including a cost history of prior legislative changes and more information underlying fiscal-note assumptions.

Ending note

The board offered additional requests for detail and clarity; staff said they will return with more granular analyses if members want them. Because the board’s policy and the governor’s office typically keep agency testimony neutral, any request to take a legislative position would raise disclosure and staff-testimony considerations and would be considered separately.

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Nevada Health Authority presentation outlines centralized purchasing and claims database; board seeks detail on data protections and board role

PEBP board reviews 2025 bills; public commenters urge opposition to AB22 and SB32, support for AB188