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Nevada launches HEAL student‑loan repayment program; 881 applicants vie for limited awards
Summary
State Treasurer staff told the joint Ways & Means and Finance committees the Nevada HEAL program received 881 applications in its first window and will use $2.5 million annually to repay loans for selected providers, with 15% of funds reserved for rural counties.
The Nevada State Treasurer’s Office told a joint legislative budget committee on a multi‑agency hearing day that its newly launched Health Equity and Loan Assistance (HEAL) program received 881 applications in its first 30‑day window and is set to begin awards in April.
The treasurer’s office said HEAL has dedicated annual funding of $2,500,000 and that 15% of the annual allocation is reserved for providers practicing in rural counties (defined by the office as any county outside Clark and Washoe). The office expects to fund roughly 50 to 70 providers each year, depending on which provider types score highest under the program’s weighted criteria.
Deputy Treasurer Leslie Mollenkamp, who oversees administration of the Nevada HEAL program, said the program was established by Assembly Bill 45 of the 2023 session and requires participating providers to be Nevada residents, hold active and good‑standing licenses or registrations, and commit to at least five years of clinical practice in an underserved Nevada community. The office said regulations, scoring structures and an online application were completed before the program’s first application window opened on Jan. 15.
Mollenkamp described the program’s prioritization: primary care, reproductive care and behavioral health providers receive priority along with those who accept Medicaid, Medicare or CHIP patients, bilingual providers, and providers who serve patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The statute cited by staff was identified as Chapter 226 of the Nevada Revised Statutes.
The treasurer’s office described a sliding repayment schedule in regulations. Presentation materials included a repayment schedule that staff said sets total repayments ranging from $15,000 to $120,000 depending on provider type; the presentation also described payments being made directly to recipients’ loan servicers over a five‑year period. The office said it expects to notify applicants of preliminary approvals and then final awards in April, after verifying scores and eligibility.
Committee members asked for a breakdown of the 881 applications by provider type; Mollenkamp said nurses constituted the largest single group (about 27% of applicants) and that social‑work categories also formed a large share. Staff said a more detailed provider‑type breakdown had been prepared and would be provided to the committee.
On administrative costs, the treasurer’s office requested enhancements to cover outreach, marketing, postage, supplies and other start‑up expenses; staff said roughly $40,000 of the requested administrative contract funds are earmarked for marketing, with an additional small amount for a survey mechanism to gather applicant feedback. The office also described requests for shared allocations for public official bond insurance and other centralized services.
Committee members pressed whether the governor’s recommended budget assumptions still fit the actual application volume; Mollenkamp said no changes to the assumed budget were needed at this time.
The treasurer’s office emphasized that eligibility, scoring, and payment methodology are set by statute and program regulations; staff said they are currently reviewing scoring and verifying eligibility and will begin award notifications in April.
