Nevada senators hear ‘Beau’s Bill’ to ensure presumptive Medicaid coverage for NICU newborns

Senators on the Nevada State Senate Committee on Health and Human Services heard testimony March 11 on Senate Bill 138, a proposal to require hospitals that provide birthing services to enroll as providers of Medicaid presumptive eligibility and to establish a NICU parentsbill of rights.

The billpresented by Majority Leader Senator Nicole Cannizzaro would require hospital staff to screen pregnant patients for presumptive Medicaid eligibility under federal rules (42 CFR 435.11), provide written notices explaining coverage or denial, and notify parents if a newborn may qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and hence presumptive Medicaid coverage. Cannizzaro also described a proposed NICU parentsbill of rights that would guarantee timely medical updates, parental involvement in decision-making, skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding support and mental-health resources.

The measureaims to make sure that eligible infants and their families receive immediate coverage while a full Medicaid application is completed, reducing the risk of families accruing large out-of-pocket bills during a newbornNICU stay.

Senator Nicole Cannizzaro, Majority Leader (Senate District 6), introduced the bill and the conceptual amendment and said the amendment "focuses on ensuring that hospitals providing birthing services are enrolled with Medicaid as a provider of presumptive eligibility services and ensuring that they are screening pregnant women who may be eligible." Cannizzaro told the committee the amendment should remove the fiscal note tied to the original language.

Mother Jennifer Atlas, who identified herself as staff with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and spoke about her son Beau's NICU experience, urged passage. "SB 138 does something so simple and so obvious that it should have been done already. It automatically enrolls NICU babies in Medicaid if they already qualify," Atlas said. She described receiving a Medicaid application during her son's prolonged hospitalization, assuming they would not qualify because she had private insurance, and later facing large out-of-pocket costs.

Her son, Beau Tucker, addressed the committee as well: "My mom calls this Beau's bill. Beau's bill will make sure all NICU babies are automatically covered by Medicaid so families can focus on the baby's health instead of worrying about paying."

Families and advocates who testified in support told the committee they had experienced or witnessed large bills tied to NICU care. Chris Amarkow said his son Bennett was born extremely premature and that, despite efforts to backdate coverage, the family was unable to secure retroactive Medicaid to cover certain emergency transport costs. "SB138 aims to eliminate barriers that currently result in NICU parents facing unnecessary medical debt," Amarkow said.

Stacy Weeks of Nevada Medicaid explained the mechanics of presumptive eligibility: the process uses an abbreviated application that can be completed at the hospital, presumes eligibility for a defined period while a full application is processed (Weeks said providers must later submit a full application within a time window), and if a patient is deemed presumptively eligible the services during that period are covered by Medicaid.

Committee members asked about enforcement and whether hospitals could lose licensure if they did not enroll. Cannizzaro said the bill is not intended to strip existing licensure and that the licensure tie is meant to give the state oversight to ensure hospitals provide the screening and enrollment assistance. "We are not intending to remove or revoke licensure from hospitals," she said, adding that the sponsor is open to technical language to give hospitals time to enroll.

Hospitalsrepresented by the Nevada Hospital Association did not present unified opposition but asked for time to review the conceptual amendment; Patrick Kelly of the association said he had not been able to talk to all hospitals and was technically in opposition to preserve the right to raise issues while still indicating willingness to work with the sponsor.

The hearing included multiple medical and advocacy organizationssupporting the bill, including the Nevada State Medical Association, the Nevada chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada, neurorestorative pediatric skilled nursing, and the Children's Advocacy Alliance. Supporters emphasized that presumptive eligibility is not intended to expand who is eligible for Medicaid but to ensure eligible infants are enrolled promptly.

No formal vote occurred at the hearing. Cannizzaro closed the matter by asking stakeholders with concerns to work with her office and said she expects to refine language for a future hearing.

Votes at this hearing: none (hearing held; no final action taken).