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AB 297

Revises provisions relating to Medicaid. (BDR 38-838)

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Reuben D'Silva and 7 co-sponsors

Medicaid would cover optional home visiting services for pregnant people or those within 24 months postbirth, expanding access to evidence-based support.

(No further action taken.)
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · AB 297

AB 297 — Summary (2025 Session)

Title: Revises provisions relating to Medicaid. (BDR 38‑838)
Introduced: Jan 23, 2025 — Sponsor: Assemblymember Hanadi Nadeem (with subsequent cosponsors)
Status: No further action taken (last action: June 3, 2025)

Purpose / Intent

AB 297 would make home visiting services an optional, reimbursable Medicaid benefit in Nevada for people who are pregnant or who have given birth within the prior 24 months. The intent is to expand access to evidence‑based home visiting (including postnatal visitation) to improve maternal and infant outcomes, support family planning and care coordination, and help address disparities in maternal/child health.

Key provisions

  • Requires the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), via the Division of Health Care Financing and Policy (Medicaid), to seek any and all federal authority (State Plan Amendment or waiver) necessary to obtain federal financial participation to cover optional home visiting services under Title XIX and as preventive services per 42 C.F.R. §440.130(c).
  • Specifies covered services may include (without limitation):
    • Infant and parent education and informational support
    • Family planning counseling
    • Preventive screenings
    • Linkage and referrals to medical, social and community services
    • Care coordination for pregnant and parenting individuals through pregnancy and the first 24 months of the child’s life
  • Requires the Department to:
    • Adopt regulations setting provider requirements (including the option to require national accreditation or DPBH standards for home‑visiting providers)
    • Notify eligible Medicaid recipients that these optional services are available and explicitly state that participation is voluntary
    • Apply for federal waivers or State Plan amendments and cooperate with federal authorities during the approval process
  • Provider standards: services must be delivered by program sites that are accredited or meet DPBH standards.
  • The bill text evolved from an original version that would have created a state‑run postnatal nurse visitation program (two visits/week for 28 days); that direct mandate was deleted and replaced by the Medicaid coverage approach in later amendments.

Who would be affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: Medicaid enrollees who are pregnant or who have given birth within the previous 24 months.
  • Providers: Home‑visiting programs (e.g., Nurse‑Family Partnership and other models) that would need to meet accreditation/DPBH standards to bill Medicaid.
  • State government: DHHS/Division of Health Care Financing and Policy (administration, SPA/waiver work, rulemaking).
  • Budget: State Medicaid program and General Fund for administrative costs where federal participation is not available.

Fiscal and implementation notes

  • Fiscal impact: Amendment materials estimate General Fund costs of approximately $250,000 in the biennium under an assumed effective date (e.g., 7/1/2026) — largely for administrative/start‑up tasks; full program costs depend on federal approval and demand.
  • Effect on local government: indicated as “No.”
  • Implementation prerequisites: federal approval (SPA or waiver) is required for federal matching funds; the Department must adopt regulations and notify eligible recipients.

Support and opposition (summary)

  • Supporters: maternal health advocates, home‑visiting providers (Nurse‑Family Partnership), community members and clinicians citing evidence of improved maternal/child outcomes and favorable benefit‑to‑cost analyses.
  • Opponents/concerns: commenters raised issues about nurse workforce capacity, potential costs, privacy/voluntariness concerns, and whether the program is an unfunded mandate if structured as a mandatory state service.

Legislative history / procedural milestones

  • Introduced Jan 23, 2025; referred to Health & Human Services Committee.
  • April 21, 2025: Committee amended bill (Amendment No. 435) to convert original postnatal nurse‑visit mandate into a Medicaid coverage requirement and added cosponsors; rereferred to Ways & Means.
  • Reprint and amendment texts reflect the shift from a state‑run nurse visitation program to a Medicaid optional benefit covering home visiting through 24 months.
  • June 3, 2025: No further action taken; bill did not become law.

If you want, I can produce a one‑page fact sheet for stakeholders (providers, county health officers, or Medicaid administrators) summarizing implementation steps and likely timelines for a successful SPA/waiver application.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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