# Nevada SB495: AN ACT relating to health care; revising requirements governing the electronic maintenance, transmittal and exchange of health information; making revisions relating to emergency medical care; prescribing certain requirements to expedite the credentialing and privileging of providers of health care; authorizing paramedics to serve as employees or volunteers in hospitals under certain circumstances; imposing certain requirements governing prior authorization for medical care and payment of health insurance claims; making various revisions relating to Medicaid; creating and prescribing the duties of the Office of Mental Health in the Department of Health and Human Services or the Nevada Health Authority, if it is created; prohibiting noncompetition covenants governing certain providers of health care; requiring the prioritization of certain applications for licensure as a physician or osteopathic physician; requiring certain providers of health care to provide certain data to the Department; requiring certain reports of the Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine to include certain information; authorizing the establishment of an alternative pathway to licensure as a dental hygienist; establishing provisions to incentivize the provision of psychological services to rural patients; requiring the Patient Protection Commission to study academic medical centers; making appropriations; providing a penalty; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Nevada SB495, AN ACT relating to health care; revising requirements governing the electronic maintenance, transmittal and exchange of health information; making revisions relating to emergency medical care; prescribing certain requirements to expedite the credentialing and privileging of providers of health care; authorizing paramedics to serve as employees or volunteers in hospitals under certain circumstances; imposing certain requirements governing prior authorization for medical care and payment of health insurance claims; making various revisions relating to Medicaid; creating and prescribing the duties of the Office of Mental Health in the Department of Health and Human Services or the Nevada Health Authority, if it is created; prohibiting noncompetition covenants governing certain providers of health care; requiring the prioritization of certain applications for licensure as a physician or osteopathic physician; requiring certain providers of health care to provide certain data to the Department; requiring certain reports of the Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine to include certain information; authorizing the establishment of an alternative pathway to licensure as a dental hygienist; establishing provisions to incentivize the provision of psychological services to rural patients; requiring the Patient Protection Commission to study academic medical centers; making appropriations; providing a penalty; and providing other matters properly relating thereto., is a 83rd Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Senate Committee on Health and Human Services; status failed, last action 2025-06-03 ((No further action taken.)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-SB495-83rd2025 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Nevada SB495 - State: Nevada - Session: 83rd Regular Session (2025) - Title: AN ACT relating to health care; revising requirements governing the electronic maintenance, transmittal and exchange of health information; making revisions relating to emergency medical care; prescribing certain requirements to expedite the credentialing and privileging of providers of health care; authorizing paramedics to serve as employees or volunteers in hospitals under certain circumstances; imposing certain requirements governing prior authorization for medical care and payment of health insurance claims; making various revisions relating to Medicaid; creating and prescribing the duties of the Office of Mental Health in the Department of Health and Human Services or the Nevada Health Authority, if it is created; prohibiting noncompetition covenants governing certain providers of health care; requiring the prioritization of certain applications for licensure as a physician or osteopathic physician; requiring certain providers of health care to provide certain data to the Department; requiring certain reports of the Board of Medical Examiners and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine to include certain information; authorizing the establishment of an alternative pathway to licensure as a dental hygienist; establishing provisions to incentivize the provision of psychological services to rural patients; requiring the Patient Protection Commission to study academic medical centers; making appropriations; providing a penalty; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. - Status: failed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-05-15 - Last action: 2025-06-03, (No further action taken.) - Sponsor: Senate Committee on Health and Human Services - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: BDR 40-1037 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 1 (13 yes, 8 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 60 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Care approvals carry across plan changes: benefit, medium. Beginning January 1, 2028, the law provides care-continuity protections when health benefits end or patients change plans. New carriers must honor applicable earlier approvals for the first 90 days, unless the new policy clearly excludes the care. Medicaid and CHIP must also honor qualifying approv… - Easier initial Medicaid decisions near home: benefit, medium. The state must help hospitals and qualified community groups make initial Medicaid eligibility decisions. This process can help people seeking Medicaid get an earlier decision. The state must audit those decisions for accuracy and legal compliance. An initial decision does not guarantee final Medic… - Emergency centers must offer urgent-care prices: benefit, medium. Independent emergency centers must offer urgent care during all operating hours through a separate unit or severity-based routing system. When urgent care can treat or manage a patient's condition, the center must explain that option. It cannot charge more than the amount customarily charged by an… - Emergency Medicaid care needs no preapproval: benefit, medium. The state and Medicaid managed care plans cannot require prior approval for emergency services covered by Medicaid or CHIP. This includes covered ambulance trips to a hospital or other medical facility. - Faster care approvals and clearer appeals: benefit, medium. Beginning January 1, 2028, new care-approval rules cover health insurers, Medicaid, CHIP, state employee coverage, and covered review contractors. Decisions generally are due within 2 business days; allowed longer deadlines cannot exceed 7 calendar days, and shorter deadlines control. Missed respon… - Faster care approvals and emergency access: benefit, medium. Beginning January 1, 2028, carriers must use a state-approved process to keep requiring prior approval under newly issued or renewed policies. They must approve, deny, or give notice of delay within 2 business days, unless a shorter legal deadline applies. Operating rules may allow more time, but n… - High-approval providers can skip care preapproval: benefit, medium. Beginning January 1, 2028, qualifying providers receive exemptions from prior approval for eligible covered care, subject to statutory exceptions. For carrier coverage, an in-network provider needs at least 95% approval for the specific service during the previous 24 months. Additional requirements… - More places for temporary Medicaid eligibility: benefit, medium. The state must help hospital staff make temporary Medicaid eligibility decisions while full eligibility is reviewed. It must seek federal approval for certified staff at qualified community groups to make these decisions too. The state must provide training, certification, and regular audits. Certi… - Stronger protection for approved medical care: benefit, medium. Beginning January 1, 2028, health carriers generally must honor approved care and cannot delay or deny its payment. Similar protections apply to state Medicaid and Medicaid managed care approvals. Exceptions cover fraud, material misrepresentation, clerical errors, or no coverage on the care date.… - Patients can compare emergency center charges: benefit, low. The state must publish information that helps people compare independent emergency centers' charges and quality of care. The information includes discharge data, quality measures, potentially preventable readmissions, and charges for the top 50 treatments. Published information must protect patient… - Patients get free electronic health records: benefit, low. Record holders must securely send requested electronic records to patients or their chosen covered entities within seven business days, without charge. Sending records to another person or entity requires the patient's written permission. For other electronic deliveries, fees generally cannot excee… - Clearer emergency-center information and hospital bills: benefit, low. The state must collect emergency-center operating and patient-outcome information and share specified information online and upon request. It must build public awareness of that information and include the program in its status report. Hospitals and independent emergency centers must use the state'… - Health plans must offer online approvals: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2028, insurers and covered approval entities must use electronic systems to receive and process care requests. Carrier systems must let providers submit requests, track progress, and receive updates. The state must provide an electronic system for Medicaid and CHIP medical and… - Insurance protections extend to employer benefits: benefit, low. Employers providing health care benefits must provide the benefits required by the specified state insurance provisions. They must also pay providers in the same manner required of an insurance policy. This incorporates the law's specified care-approval, credentialing, and related insurance require… - Patients get notice of automated reviews: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2028, insurers and covered review entities using artificial intelligence or automated tools must notify each insured. The notice must describe the tool as required by the law. Carriers must also post an easy-to-find public explanation of its use, operation, and information sour… - Public employee plans gain insurance safeguards: benefit, low. The state public employee benefits board's self-insured plans must follow specified insurance rules, including approval and claims requirements. Listed coverage rules also apply to active local government officers, employees, and dependents in self-insured reserve-fund plans. The state board may hi… - Patient-care providers gain freedom from noncompetes: benefit, low. Noncompete agreements cannot apply to health care providers whose main duties involve clinical patient care. This protection excludes providers employed or contracted mainly for administrative work. If a court finds a noncompete applies to a covered provider, it must award that employee or contract… - Health practices get electronic records relief: benefit, low. Qualifying solo and group practices are exempt from general electronic health information rules. The entire practice must have served fewer than 500 patients last year and reasonably expect fewer than 500 this year. Exempt providers must still send electronic records to patients or, at patients’ re… - Faster checks for providers joining networks: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, Medicaid, CHIP, and carrier-network credential checks must use the CAQH Provider Data Portal or its successor. Verification must use an NCQA-certified organization, unless the carrier or delegate itself holds that certification. At least 95% of complete requests must be p… - Faster reviews for health care providers: benefit, low. Medical boards must prioritize physician applications for underserved Nevada areas, populations, or shortage specialties; priority does not guarantee a license. Hospitals must process at least 95% of complete staff-privilege requests within 60 days after receiving all needed information. They must… - Health record exchanges gain stronger oversight: benefit, low. Qualifying health information exchanges may create, authenticate, and store health records. Covered providers remain subject to the applicable record-maintenance and exchange rules. The Department must alert licensing bodies when covered providers or insurers violate those rules without an exemptio… - Licensing protection for existing emergency centers: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, the state must license otherwise qualified independent emergency centers within five miles of another center or hospital emergency department. This protection covers centers operating when the law was enacted. Proposed centers qualify if, by January 1, 2025, they had acqu… - New office coordinates mental health care: benefit, low. The law creates an Office of Mental Health in Nevada's health department, or the Nevada Health Authority if created. A Governor-appointed director must have behavioral-health experience and avoid the specified conflicts of interest. The office coordinates services, workforce development, access eff… - New office coordinates mental health services: benefit, low. The law creates an Office of Mental Health in the Department of Health and Human Services. The Director must appoint its Executive Director. The Office works to improve access and effectiveness, including children's mental and behavioral health services. It must report to lawmakers every two years.… - Osteopathic providers get streamlined approval tools: benefit, low. The osteopathic medicine board must prioritize first-time license applicants planning to serve the most critical provider shortages. Priorities cover geographic areas, populations, and specialties identified by the required state assessment. The board must monitor processing times and update priori… - Paramedics gain regulated hospital work roles: benefit, low. The State Board of Health must adopt rules allowing paramedics to work or volunteer in hospitals. Roles may include emergency departments, intensive care, and other acute or specialty care areas. Rules must cover duties, training, certification, oversight, and regular evaluations, with work matched… - Physician licenses prioritized for care shortages: benefit, low. Nevada's medical board must prioritize initial physician-license applications aimed at the most critical provider shortages. Priorities cover identified geographic areas, populations, and medical specialties. The board must track processing times and update priorities annually with the health depar… - Prompt Medicaid payments for care providers: benefit, low. Medicaid and CHIP must follow the specified prompt-payment rules applying to private insurers and the state employee benefits program. After prior approval, claims must be paid within 30 days, with separate timelines when additional records are requested. Late payments earn interest at Nevada's lar… - Psychologists earn recognition for rural care: benefit, low. The psychology board must encourage continuing education about rural patients' mental health needs. Psychologists providing at least 200 hours of telehealth care to rural Nevada patients receive a certificate of distinction. With their consent, the board may list them online as a Committed Rural Se… - State funding supports Medicaid program changes: benefit, low. Effective July 1, 2025, the law provides state agency funding for specified Medicaid and children’s health insurance program changes. It appropriates $291,296 from Nevada’s General Fund and authorizes another $1.149153 million in spending for fiscal year 2026–2027. The funding supports administrati… - State funds academic medical center study: benefit, low. Beginning July 1, 2025, the Patient Protection Commission receives $200,000 to study Nevada's academic medical centers during 2025–2026. The study must cover workforce, locations, funding, statewide coordination, training, partnerships, and governance. The Commission must consult health care, acade… - Yearly checks on health plan compliance: benefit, low. The Insurance Commissioner must audit every Nevada health carrier annually and publish a compliance report on approval and related insurance rules. The Commissioner must investigate provider complaints and hold a yearly public meeting with the health department. Public input must guide regulations… - Psychologists get credit for rural-care training: benefit, low. The psychology board must tell licensees about rural mental-health continuing education offered by the American Psychological Association's Committee on Rural Health. The board must count that training toward psychologists' required continuing education. - Ambulance operators lose record-rule penalties: benefit, low. The law removes corrective-action authority and administrative penalties for specified electronic health-information violations by ambulance operators. The repeal also covers air ambulance and fire-agency vehicle permit holders. The repealed rule did not allow permit suspension or revocation for th… - Emergency centers avoid certain licensing costs: benefit, low. Nevada cannot charge a fee to issue an independent emergency center's operating license. Hospital-owned, operated, or affiliated centers also avoid license renewal fees. The state cannot collect its actual enforcement costs for issuing or renewing those hospital-affiliated centers' licenses. The la… - Quality-based Medicaid payments for emergency centers: benefit, low. Medicaid must include quality-based payments for care at independent emergency centers to the extent money is available. Higher reimbursement goes to centers providing high-quality care at an appropriate level. The payment system also depends on federal legal authority. The law does not set payment… - Care administrators face added discipline grounds: cost, low. The long-term care administrator board can discipline licensees who help others violate the act's covered facility rules. This applies to violations involving skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, and group residential facilities. - Pharmacists must follow more record rules: cost, low. Pharmacists lose their exemption from the applicable health-record requirements. The specified record-retention and record-destruction provisions remain excluded from this change. - Alternative-path hygienists face preventive-agent limits: cost, low. Dental hygienists trained through the alternative pathway cannot prescribe or dispense preventive agents under the dental hygienist prescribing authority. This restriction ends if they later graduate from the standard dental hygiene program specified in state law. - Health professionals must submit renewal data: cost, low. Covered health professionals must electronically submit the state health director's data request to renew their licenses, registrations, or certificates. The requirement also applies to physician biennial registration. It covers physicians, dentists, nurses, and professionals licensed under the oth… - Hospital sites need separate billing numbers: cost, low. Qualifying hospital sites more than 250 yards from the main campus must use distinct national provider numbers on claims. This covers integrated outpatient surgery, urgent care, and emergency-room sites. Claims may also show the main-campus number if each number's location is clear. Independent eme… - Medicaid approval exemptions face quality checks: cost, low. The state must set quality standards for its Gold Card approval-exemption holders and Medicaid managed care entities. Holders falling below the required average quality rating must receive a review. The state may suspend or revoke an exemption when the holder takes insufficient steps to improve car… - Medicaid providers face stronger state reviews: cost, low. State officials can review certain sealed records when screening people seeking to provide Medicaid services or own or manage providers. The state must also follow a prescribed process to review whether Medicaid claims are proper. After review, it can deny claims, recover payments already made, or… - New emergency centers face location limits: cost, low. The law broadens the independent emergency-center definition beyond facilities offering only limited emergency treatment. Covered centers must be structurally separate from a hospital and treat medical emergencies. Hospital-owned, operated, or affiliated centers qualify when located more than 250 y… - Providers must report data to renew: cost, low. Covered health care providers must complete the Director's electronic workforce data request to renew their credentials. The request covers provider demographics and practices. It applies across the listed medical, dental, nursing, vision, behavioral health, social work, and related licensing board… - Providers must send approval requests online: cost, low. Hospitals and outpatient surgery centers must send applicable care-approval requests through the required electronic systems. Providers must also use them if privately insured patients generated at least 10% of gross revenue in the previous calendar year. The revenue test excludes the specified Med… - Tighter checks on Medicaid provider payments: cost, low. Medicaid providers must keep and provide documents that let the state verify claims. The state may deny claims or recover payments it cannot verify. Health agencies may inspect sealed records involving Medicare, Medicaid, or licensed professional services during specified Medicaid suitability revie… - Dental applicants need remote care training: cost, low. Dentistry, dental hygiene, and dental therapy license applicants planning to provide teledentistry must show proof of related training. They need at least 2 hours of continuing education on teledentistry. A teledentistry course completed as a graduation requirement at an accredited school also qual… - Insurance companies face added approval standards: cost, low. Health insurers and utilization review agents must meet the new regulatory requirements to receive state authorization or registration. The commissioner can refuse administrator registration when the applicant or required affidavit signer fails those requirements. Independent review organizations m… - Insurance approval protections have coverage limits: mixed, low. Specified approval and claims rules also cover administrators and review organizations handling those tasks. Relevant rules extend to nonprofit hospital, medical, and dental service corporations unless they conflict with those corporations' governing laws. The administrator and review-organization… - Health record exchanges face certification rules: mixed, low. Health information exchanges must get state certification before operating in Nevada. Certification rules must address financial and operating stability, privacy, security, patient consent, and the ability to share information across systems. The state health director can deny, suspend, or revoke c… - Health records follow separate legal rules: mixed, low. Nevada's general privacy and information-security laws do not apply to health information handled according to the specified health-information rules. The state's electronic-transactions and digital-signature laws also do not apply to records governed by those health-information rules. These exclus… - Stronger health record rules, small-practice exemptions: mixed, low. Covered facilities and providers must follow state rules for electronic health records, with legal exceptions and waivers. The rules cover access, privacy, security, consent, corrections, breach notices, system compatibility, electronic prescription approvals, and audits. Solo or small group practi… - Emergency centers face new operating rules: mixed, low. Structurally separate emergency facilities need independent emergency-center licenses, including facilities owned or operated by hospitals. Beginning January 1, 2026, covered centers must provide urgent care throughout operating hours; centers licensed at enactment are exempt. Hospital-affiliated c… - Facility rules cover hospice, exempt others: mixed, low. Qualifying hospice programs count as medical facilities under the specified Nevada facility rules. Qualifying religious healing facilities, foster homes, and federally operated and maintained facilities are exempt from specified facility requirements. Religious healing facilities must serve people… - Medicaid carriers must bid for Public Option: mixed, low. Medicaid and CHIP managed care carriers must submit a good-faith Public Option administrator bid to continue Medicaid managed care participation. This applies when the state requests bids, and proposals must meet applicable standards. The Director must favor bids that align networks and include spe… - Medicaid claim reviews with hearing protections: mixed, low. Medicaid providers must keep claim-supporting records for the period set by regulation and share them when the state requests them. The state can deny or recover payments it cannot verify. Suspected unnecessary, excessive, or improper services require review and supporting records. Within 60 days a… - Some Medicaid requirements start in 2029: mixed, low. The Department does not have to implement three specified Medicaid requirements until January 1, 2029. From January 1, 2028, through January 1, 2029, it may collect provider data needed to prepare. These are subsections 9, 10, and 11 of section 56. The supplied provisions do not describe what those… - New dental hygienist pathway with limits: mixed, low. Nevada’s dental board can create supervised training instead of requiring graduation from an accredited dental hygiene program. Applicants must start during a two-year period when the state workforce assessment identifies a dental hygienist shortage. Required classes include two semesters each of b… - Paramedics gain hospital roles with training: mixed, low. Hospitals can use paramedics as employees or volunteers after the paramedics meet required qualifications and training standards. Hospitals must first develop and put the required comprehensive policies in place. Paramedics cannot work in an area requiring extra training until they complete that tr… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Senate Committee on Health and Human Services ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-06-02 | Senate | Final Passage - Senate (1st Reprint) | pass | 13 | 8 | | ## Actions (15) - 2025-06-03: (No further action taken.) (Senate) - 2025-06-02: From printer. To engrossment. Engrossed. First reprint. To Assembly. (Senate) - 2025-06-02: Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved, as amended. (Yeas: 13, Nays: 8.) To printer. (Senate) - 2025-06-02: Reprinting dispensed with. (Senate) - 2025-06-02: Read third time. Amended. (Amend. No. 942.) (Senate) - 2025-06-02: Taken from Secretary's desk. Placed on General File. (Senate) - 2025-06-02: Taken from General File. Placed on Secretary's desk. (Senate) - 2025-06-01: Taken from General File. Placed on General File for next legislative day. (Senate) - 2025-05-31: Taken from General File. Placed on General File for next legislative day. (Senate) - 2025-05-30: Read second time. (Senate) - 2025-05-30: Placed on Second Reading File. (Senate) - 2025-05-30: From committee: Do pass. (Senate) - 2025-05-16: From printer. To committee. (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Waiver granted effective: March 20, 2025. (Senate) - 2025-05-15: Read first time. Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services. To printer. (Senate) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB495.pdf) - Reprint 1: [PDF](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB495_R1.pdf) ## Related bills - SB217: AN ACT relating to health care; prohibiting a governmental entity from substantially burdening certain activity relating to assisted reproduction under certain… (vetoed) - AB499: AN ACT relating to elections; requiring, with certain exceptions, a registered voter show photo identification to vote in person; requiring the Department of M… (vetoed) - AB397: AN ACT relating to higher education; revising provisions governing certain waivers of fees provided by the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada; revisi… (vetoed) - AB259: AN ACT relating to health care; prohibiting certain actions related to pricing and reimbursement for certain drugs; creating a cause of action for violating su… (vetoed) - AB188: AN ACT relating to the Public Employees' Benefits Program; requiring the Board of the Public Employees' Benefits Program to report certain information relating… (vetoed) - SB460: AN ACT relating to education; revising provisions governing plans to improve academic achievement; providing for the waiver of certain reporting requirements;… (signed) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB495.pdf) - [Reprint 1 (PDF)](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/SB/SB495_R1.pdf) ## Related - [SB217: AN ACT relating to health care; prohibiting a governmental entity from substant…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-SB217-83rd2025) - [AB499: AN ACT relating to elections; requiring, with certain exceptions, a registered…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-AB499-83rd2025) - [AB397: AN ACT relating to higher education; revising provisions governing certain waiv…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-AB397-83rd2025) - [AB259: AN ACT relating to health care; prohibiting certain actions related to pricing…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-AB259-83rd2025) - [AB188: AN ACT relating to the Public Employees' Benefits Program; requiring the Board…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-AB188-83rd2025) - [SB460: AN ACT relating to education; revising provisions governing plans to improve ac…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-SB460-83rd2025) - [Nevada bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/nevada/bills) - [Nevada state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/nevada) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/NV-SB495-83rd2025 (as of 2026-11-01).