HEALTH CARE
Nicole wants to make sure every Nevadan has access to quality, affordable health care. That’s why she is not afraid to take on big health insurance companies who want to drive up health care costs and leave patients with gaps in coverage. One of her top priorities as Senate Majority Leader was passing legislation that prevented health insurance companies from denying Nevadans coverage for pre-existing conditions. She also passed legislation that protected Nevadans from surprise medical billing when they receive out-of-network emergency care.
Nicole also isn’t afraid to take on big pharmaceutical companies who continue to charge more for prescription drugs each year, making it harder for Nevadans to afford the medicines they need. She helped establish the Silver State Scripts Board which increased transparency in prescription drug pricing and authorized public and nonprofit healthcare plans to use the Medicaid formulary.
She also passed legislation requiring asthma and insulin drug makers to disclose information about the costs of making and marketing those drugs if pricing has increased in the previous two years.
During the most recent session, Nicole worked to pass legislation that would have capped the cost of prescription drugs for all Nevadans, so no family would have to choose between groceries and life saving medication. Even though it was vetoed by the Governor, Nicole plans to keep up the fight to lower costs.
Nicole understands that Nevada’s health care system faces many challenges, particularly in terms of recruiting and retaining doctors and medical specialists. That’s why she worked with Governors from both parties to pass legislation to create a holistic approach for health care in our state, including prescription drug costs and health care access.
Nicole believes that we must do more as a state to provide Nevadans more access to affordable insurance options. That’s why she created a Nevada-specific public health insurance option that will bring down costs for everyone, save the state tens of millions of dollars, and help the uninsured get coverage. Going forward, Nicole will continue to work on bringing down health care costs while allowing union members and people who have health insurance to stay on their current plans.
Nicole also believes that we need to provide more access to mental health services. That’s why she sponsored legislation to create mobile mental health units, so that Nevadans have easier access to mental health services they need, and increased Nevada’s mental health budget by over $420 million.