Bill would harm Nevada’s emergency rooms

Many emergency patients have serious life-threatening issues and need critical services to stay alive, often within seconds to minutes. Doctors and hospitals provide life-saving care without initial concern for insurance, but like any business they need fair payment to keep the doors open.

Emergency departments in Nevada will be crippled if the legislature passes either Assembly Bill 382 or Assembly Joint Resolution 14 allowing insurance companies to pay whatever they want to pay for life-saving care. This will drive doctors out of Nevada, and force many emergency departments to close their doors.

These measures — which are designed to benefit insurance companies and increase profits to shareholders on Wall Street — will have devastating impacts on access to care for Nevadans, especially those living in rural areas. Hospitals will close in the most sensitive areas of Nevada due to economic non-viability.

Insurance companies in Nevada need to step up for their customers — our patients — and ensure they are treated fairly and not stuck with unexpected and unreasonable out-of-pocket costs. They need to expand their networks and provide fair coverage. The alternative is deadly for patients with an emergency.

We urge legislators to vote no on AJR 14 and AB 382.