NRS439B.220. Powers.

  The Committee may:

      1.  Review and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of programs for the prevention of illness.

      2.  Review and compare the costs of medical care among communities in Nevada with similar communities in other states.

      3.  Analyze the overall system of medical care in the State to determine ways to coordinate the providing of services to all members of society, avoid the duplication of services and achieve the most efficient use of all available resources.

      4.  Examine the business of providing insurance, including the development of cooperation with health maintenance organizations and organizations which restrict the performance of medical services to certain physicians and hospitals, and procedures to contain the costs of these services.

      5.  Examine hospitals to:

      (a) Increase cooperation among hospitals;

      (b) Increase the use of regional medical centers; and

      (c) Encourage hospitals to use medical procedures which do not require the patient to be admitted to the hospital and to use the resulting extra space in alternative ways.

      6.  Examine medical malpractice.

      7.  Examine the system of education to coordinate:

      (a) Programs in health education, including those for the prevention of illness and those which teach the best use of available medical services; and

      (b) The education of those who provide medical care.

      8.  Review competitive mechanisms to aid in the reduction of the costs of medical care.

      9.  Examine the problem of providing and paying for medical care for indigent and medically indigent persons, including medical care provided by physicians.

      10.  Examine the effectiveness of any legislation enacted to accomplish the purpose of restraining the costs of health care while ensuring the quality of services, and its effect on the subjects listed in subsections 1 to 9, inclusive.

      11.  Determine whether regulation by the State will be necessary in the future by examining hospitals for evidence of:

      (a) Degradation or discontinuation of services previously offered, including without limitation, neonatal care, pulmonary services and pathology services; or

      (b) A change in the policy of the hospital concerning contracts,

Ê as a result of any legislation enacted to accomplish the purpose of restraining the costs of health care while ensuring the quality of services.

      12.  Study the effect of the acuity of the care provided by a hospital upon the revenues of the hospital and upon limitations upon that revenue.

      13.  Review the actions of the Director in administering the provisions of this chapter and adopting regulations pursuant to those provisions. The Director shall report to the Committee concerning any regulations proposed or adopted pursuant to this chapter.

      14.  Identify and evaluate, with the assistance of an advisory group, the alternatives to institutionalization for providing long-term care, including, without limitation:

      (a) An analysis of the costs of the alternatives to institutionalization and the costs of institutionalization for persons receiving long-term care in this State;

      (b) A determination of the effects of the various methods of providing long-term care services on the quality of life of persons receiving those services in this State;

      (c) A determination of the personnel required for each method of providing long-term care services in this State; and

      (d) A determination of the methods for funding the long-term care services provided to all persons who are receiving or who are eligible to receive those services in this State.

      15.  Evaluate, with the assistance of an advisory group, the feasibility of obtaining a waiver from the Federal Government to integrate and coordinate acute care services provided through Medicare and long-term care services provided through Medicaid in this State.

      16.  Evaluate, with the assistance of an advisory group, the feasibility of obtaining a waiver from the Federal Government to eliminate the requirement that elderly persons in this State impoverish themselves as a condition of receiving assistance for long-term care.

      17.  Conduct investigations and hold hearings in connection with its review and analysis and exercise any of the investigative powers set forth in NRS 218E.105 to 218E.140, inclusive.

      18.  Apply for any available grants and accept any gifts, grants or donations to aid the Committee in carrying out its duties pursuant to this chapter.

      19.  Direct the Legislative Counsel Bureau to assist in its research, investigations, review and analysis.

      20.  Recommend to the Legislature as a result of its review any appropriate legislation.

      21.  Prescribe duties and make requests, in addition to those set forth in NRS 439B.250, of the Nevada Academy of Health established pursuant to that section.

      (Added to NRS by 1987, 864; A 2001, 2376; 2007, 2382; 2009, 58; 2013, 3757)