Fee Increased to Pay for More Health Inspections

After the Hepatitis C Outbreak in 2008, some called it the biggest health notification of its kind in the state and even the country. Some 50,000 people were notified they should get tested for hepatitis, HIV, and AIDS after an investigation into Las Vegas clinics found medical professionals were reusing of vials of anesthetic propofol.

In response to the outbreak, the Nevada Legislature decided health facilities needed to be inspected more frequently. But the state agency that does the inspections told legislators that would obviously require more funding. According to the Las Vegas Sun, lawmakers announced it would result in a fee increase for health care providers. The article says the fee increase will be about 600 percent.

Critics of the plan say the fee increase is too high and may force health care providers to lay people off. Some lawmakers think maybe the state is overacting to the Hepatitis C Outbreak.

But the director of the Department of Health and Human Services told the Sun:

“It wasn’t one incident,” he said. “After hepatitis C, we continued to find safety issues for a year. It was shocking to me. Today we still find patient safety issues almost every time we are out.”

What do you think? Should the state pass on the fee or is it unfair to health care providers?

-Edward M Bernstein and Associates

Fees increased to pay for frequent health facility inspections

By ED VOGEL
REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU

Posted: January 13, 2011 | 7:21 p.m.

CARSON CITY — Nevada legislators finally got around to boosting fees to pay for more frequent health facility inspections Thursday.

Find this article at: Las Vegas Review Journal