Congressman Heller's Wonderful Health Care Reform Plan

Congressional Republicans are expected to release their health care reform proposal, and here's what we can expect:
1. People with pre-existing conditions (and the insurance corporations get to decide what is a pre-existing condition - pregnancy, spousal abuse, acne, etc.) will pay up to 50% more for health insurance coverage.
2. State governments will have to pick up the tab for high risk insurance pools with a "stable funding source." Nevada can't close its own current budget gap at the moment. A $15 billion fund is supposed to cover all 50 states.
3. No lifetime cap on benefits (Democratic idea)
4. Prohibition on claim denial unless a person "conceals a medical condition" - read "pre-existing condition."
5. Children can be declared dependents until age 25. (Democratic proposal age 27)
6. No limit on annual out of pocket expenses.
7. No assistance for uninsured individuals (self employed) to purchase affordable insurance.
8. Small business cooperatives to purchase insurance by "negotiating" with corporations for lower prices.
9. Portable insurance that negates State consumer mandates and consumer protections already in statute. (The insurance industry has wanted this for decades)
10. Capping non-economic damages for medical malpractice at $250,000 (NV has a cap, and our premiums haven't gone down even a smidgen)
11. A permanent ban on all abortion funding.

Nothing surprising here, it's an insurance industry wish list, and the House Republicans are supporting it.

Nevada Notes

The Nevada Women's Lobby is hosting a free conference: Economic Recovery - What Women Need To Know - at SEIU, 3785 East Sunset Road, Saturday November 7, 2009 from 9 AM to 12:30 PM. Additional information: 702-948-4393

Nevada and California congressional delegations have introduced legislation to protect Lake Tahoe, the bill will authorize projects to combat invasive species, reduce wildland fires, restore water clarity, and protect threatened wildlife species. The "Lake Tahoe Restoration Act Reauthorization Act of 2009" would provide $72 million for storm water management and watershed projects. $2 million is set aside for preventing the invasion of those infamous and destructive Quagga Mussels. $350,000 is authorized for the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout restoration project.

Senator Harry Reid's office announced that one part of the Interior Department Appropriations bill includes $2 million for the California Trail Interpretive Center in Elko, and $200,000 for the restoration of the historic Lincoln County Court House.

NV News: OSHA Hearing, Water Decision

Representative Dina Titus (D-NV3) thanked House Education and Labor Chair Rep. George Miller (D-CA) for the hearing on OSHA standards and enforcement. Among the findings:
"A federal review of Nevada’s OSHA program found that the state failed to cite employers for clear hazards, didn't properly train inspectors on construction hazards, didn't follow up to ensure that dangerous conditions were fixed, failed to include worker representatives in inspections, and even failed to notify families of deceased workers of investigations or give them the chance to speak to investigators. Last year only 29 percent of Nevada’s citations were classified as “serious” compared to 44 percent for other state plans and 77 percent for federal OSHA." 

Good News On The Water Front: (PLAN pr) "Last week, the Seventh Judicial District Court in Pioche, Nev. issued a strong, critical reversal of the State Engineer’s ruling on the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s water rights applications in Cave, Dry Lake, and Delamar Valleys in rural eastern Nevada. In July 2008, the State Engineer issued his decision on SNWA’s applications, filed 19 years earlier in 1989.  Because the ruling grossly overestimated the amount of available groundwater in the valleys, and granted the Southern Nevada Water Authority an amount of water that would have resulted in inevitable disastrous consequences for rural Nevada ranchers and the environment, the Ruling was appealed in the summer of 2008 by a group of protestants to SNWA’s applications represented by Simeon Herskovits of Advocates for Community and Environment.  Oral argument was heard in a courtroom packed with Lincoln and White Pine County residents in September 2009.

In the Oct. 19, 2009 decision, the Court strongly rebuked the State Engineer, finding that the ruling “results in an oppressive consequence for the basins affected, with the State Engineer simply hoping for the best while committing to undo his decision if the worst occurs despite the exceedingly long time required to reach equilibrium and the effects which will eventually spread out from the basin of origin and affect the down-gradient basins.  Capriciousness by the State Engineer is the reasonable conclusion.”

The ruling represents yet another obstacle in the mounting resistance to the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s massive, unprecedented effort to acquire and pump hundreds of thousands of acre feet of water each year from rural Nevada through a 300 mile pipeline to feed its growing population.  It also falls on the heels of heated controversy surrounding the negotiation of a potential agreement between Utah and Nevada to divide the waters of neighboring Snake Valley, which straddles the Utah Nevada border.  That agreement is a prerequisite to the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s planned pumping of even more water from the Snake Valley, and has met with strong resistance on both sides of the border.  The ruling also comes at a time when financing of the pipeline has been put into question given the rising costs associated with such a project and the downturn in Las Vegas’s economy.

 The Southern Nevada Water Authority was quick to attack the ruling and the well-respected senior judge who issued it.  Says Steve Erickson of the Great Basin Water Network, “SNWA is staying true to its proven track record of trying to bully its way to the results it wants, and of concealing and distorting the scientific evidence concerning the basic underlying hydrology of the region and the damning environmental impacts its pipeline project would cause.” Susan Lynn, of the Great Basin Water Network responded to SNWA’s attack on the Judge by saying, “Such a response is consistent with SNWA management’s inability to engage in self-critical reflection about this astronomically expensive, utterly misguided, and environmentally catastrophic project.”

Although the Southern Nevada Water Authority has stated that it plans to appeal the ruling to the Nevada Supreme Court, the petitioners are confident that the ruling will stand.  Simeon Herskovits, attorney for the petitioners in the case said of the ruling, “We applaud the District Court’s reversal of an obviously unsound decision by the State Engineer.  There can be no doubt that the long term interest of all Nevadans will be best served by the Judge’s decision to use common sense and reason in applying Nevada’s water law.”

Titus Co-sponsors Small Business Bill, etc.

Representative Dina Titus (D-NV3) and Representative Pete Olsen of Texas introduced the Helping Small Businesses Grow and Prosper Act of 2009 to allow small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to deduct up to 80% of their meal and entertainment expenses, an increase over the current 50% allowance level. Not a bad idea for a State with heavy dependence on the hospitality industry. The Representatives have the support of the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Restaurant Assn., and the National Small Business Assoc.

Representative Shelley Berkley (D-NV1) is pleased with the $138 million award for NV Energy's efforts to develop Smart Grid "Advanced Service Delivery" systems and management. The funding will be used to integrate smart grid technologies, install a network of 1.3 million smart meters, and boost the distribution of power from solar and other forms of clean renewable energy.

The Nevada Public Utilities Commission will hold its next meeting on November 3, at 4:00 pm (Reno City Hall Council Chamber, 1 First Street, Reno, NV) PLAN is asking those interested to attend and express their opposition to new coal fired power plants. Or, why would we be investing in Smart Grid technology just to get more Dumb Dirty coal fired plants?

Happy Halloween! HCAN plans a Grim Reaper Festival, Thursday October 29th, 11:00 am to 11:45 am, at the Thompson Federal Building, 300 Booth Street, Reno, NV. Why? Because in Nevada approximately 23,310 people per year are losing their health insurance, 1/3rd of the NV population under the age of 65 are uninsured (841,000), and the Grim Reaper is getting 5 people per week for lack of health insurance coverage.

House Labor Committee to Investigate NV OSHA

During an 18 month period between 2006 and 2008, 12 construction workers were killed on the Las Vegas Strip. A review of Nevada's health and safety program found a number of serious deficiencies with the plans in place. The oversight process will continue during a Congressional hearing on "Nevada's Workplace Health and Safety Enforcement Program: OSHA's finding and recommendations," Thursday October 29, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
The panel will include Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Jordan Barab, Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor, Debi Koehler-Fergen, mother of a worker killed at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Don Jayne, Administrator, Nevada Division of Industrial Relations, Dept of Business and Industry, and Franklin Mirer, professor of environmental and occupational health, Hunter College CUNY. The testimony is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM.

Additional information is available from the House Education and Labor Committee.

Titus to hold health care event

Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV3) will hold a health care forum at Temple Ner Tamid, 55 North Valle Verde Drive, Henderson, NV October 19, 7:00 Pm to 8:00 Pm

Titus Backs Two VA Bills

Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District voted
today in support of two key measures to help Nevada’s veterans and service members. The House passed legislation Titus cosponsored to ensure sufficient, timely, and predictable veterans funding and to help service members take full advantage of homebuyer incentives.

“It is our duty as elected officials to uphold our solemn promise to care for our men and women in uniform when they return home,” Congresswoman Titus
said. “Our efforts today will ensure the VA can provide high
quality medical care for our veterans by providing advanced time to plan and budget for their growing needs.”

H.R. 1016, the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, authorizes
Congress to approve investments in Department of Veterans Affairs medical care
one year in advance, and requires the President to request those funds one year
in advance. It will enable the VA to know exactly how much funding it will have, allowing them to plan and provide the best care for veterans.
Endorsed by veterans’ service organizations (VSO) including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETS, and Disabled American Veterans as “an historic legislative victory on behalf of all veterans,” this legislation is a top priority for this Congress and VSOs.

“In
their effort to bravely perform their duty in service to our country, our
servicemen and women face a number of challenges on the home front,”
Congresswoman Titus added. “By making changes to provisions in the
Recovery Act, we will address the housing needs of military personnel by
extending an important tax credit for first-time homebuyers and providing
assistance for those forced to sell their home in this difficult housing
market.”

H.R. 3590,
the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act, would extend the deadline to take
advantage of the first-time homebuyer tax credit for one year so that certain
service members stationed overseas can take advantage of the credit when they
return home. It also ensures that service members will not have to repay
the credit if they are ordered to deploy to a different location, and, as a
result, are forced to sell their home within three years of buying it.
Finally, the bill will help military personnel who are selling a home that has
declined in value as a result of a base closure or realignment by making
payments they receive under the Homeowner’s Assistance Program tax
exempt. (Titus PR Release)