The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services convened on May 15, 2025, to discuss two significant pieces of legislation: Assembly Bill 161 and Assembly Bill 315. The meeting highlighted the importance of enhancing end-of-life care and addressing Medicaid provider fraud in Nevada.

Assembly Bill 161 received strong support from various stakeholders, including Kayla Mae, a civil rights analyst at the ACLU of Nevada, and Reverend Paul Larson, who emphasized the bill's necessity for vulnerable populations in hospice care. Catherine Nielsen, executive director of the Nevada Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities, noted that the bill aims to strengthen protections for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, ensuring they receive proper communication and consent during critical end-of-life transitions. Kim Anderson Mackay, representing Amore Hospice Care, also expressed full support for the bill, underscoring its potential to improve hospice care quality in the state. Notably, there were no opposing testimonies or neutral comments regarding AB 161 during the meeting.

The committee then shifted focus to Assembly Bill 315, introduced by Rebecca Edgeworth, which addresses the growing issue of Medicaid provider fraud. Edgeworth explained that the bill aims to implement a verification process for Medicaid providers to prevent fraudulent claims. Currently, the system allows individuals to pose as healthcare providers and bill Medicaid for services not rendered. The proposed legislation would require providers to verify their identities, potentially using biometric methods, to reduce fraud and ensure that Medicaid funds are allocated to those in need of care. Stacy Weeks from Nevada Medicaid provided insights into the implementation timeline, indicating that the biometric verification process could be operational by the end of summer 2025.

The discussions during the meeting underscored the committee's commitment to improving healthcare services in Nevada, particularly for vulnerable populations and in combating fraud within the Medicaid system. The next steps will involve further deliberation on these bills as they progress through the legislative process.