Healthcare Isues

Access
More Doctors, Better Doctors and Patient Choice...

The best data on health care is provided by the federal government's "Medical Expenditure Panel Survey." This chart, for example, shows that Nevada's access to health care is much better than our pessimistic politicians say it is when they suggest socialized medicine is the answer (they usually use the euphamism "one-payer system" to describe their utopia). In fact, Nevada ranks above our peer mountain states' average in the percentage of employers offering health insurance.

Cost
Nevada Has The Highest Health Insurance Tax of Any State

Nevada has one of the highest tax rates on health insurance premiums in America, 3.5%. This is one of Nevada's many "hidden taxes" designed to hide how we finance state government. Senator Beers has fought to reduce the tax, and succeeded in not allowing it to increase.

In addition, Nevada has more "coverage mandates" than most states. Such laws require insurance companies to provide this particular benefit or that particular benefit, and tend to make insurance more expensive and less available.

Senator Beers has opposed expanding insurance mandates. While it is always politically expedient to tell constituents that they'll get more stuff for free, each new mandate the legislature passes eliminates the hope for insurance coverage for a few more Nevada families, and pushes co-pays up for the rest.