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Republican Presidential Candidates Make Their Pitch In Reno As Saturday Caucus Nears

By Sean Whaley | 11:36 pm February 2nd, 2012

RENO – From a cheering crowd of several hundred at a brief but energetic Mitt Romney rally to a more subdued event for Rick Santorum hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition to another well-attended rally for Ron Paul, it was a trifecta of presidential candidates in Reno ahead of the Saturday GOP caucus.

Romney got the balling rolling at the Grove, with an estimated 800 supporters packed inside and standing outside the event center in South Reno. Romney spoke briefly to those standing outside before giving a short but enthusiastic speech to those crowded inside.

Mitt Romney speaks at a rally today in Reno. / Photo: Nevada News Bureau.

Santorum spoke to about 250 people attending an event at the Atlantis hosted by the Republican Jewish Coalition. He focused much of his time on the threat from Iran both to Israel and the world.

Paul’s rally at the Grand Sierra Resort attracted more than 1,000 enthusiastic supporters. Paul touched on a number of concerns, including his desire to see the repeal of the Patriot Act, saying American civil liberties have been eroded since 9-11.

All three candidates are vying for support in the First in the West caucus, a binding vote that will ultimately produce delegates to the Republican National Convention. The fourth contender, Newt Gingrich, spoke in Reno on Wednesday.

Hearing all three candidates speak displayed distinct differences on such issues as foreign policy. Romney called for a stronger military, one so strong that it would neutralize the country’s enemies. Santorum focused on the need to deal with Iran and its development of nuclear weapons. Paul said the U.S. foreign policy of intervention around the world has been a failure.

Romney focuses on Obama

Romney spent the first few minutes of his 18-minute speech criticizing President Obama’s failure to restore the economy, acting like the front-runner he is in Nevada’s First in the West caucus. He did not mention any of the other GOP contenders in his remarks.

The rest of the speech was more to rally the troops to turn out at the caucus to lock in a victory and ensure continued momentum in his quest to win the Republican nomination.

Romney, expected to win the Nevada caucus based on poll results, went on the attack on Obama for the high unemployment rate, reduced median income and high rate of foreclosures.

“And the people in this country are really suffering, in part because of the extraordinary failures of this president,” he said. “This presidency has not worked. And these are not just numbers and statistics. These are real people.”

Romney also focused on his leadership abilities, saying Obama has not been a leader.

“And this president we elected to lead, he chose to follow, and now it is time for him to get out of the way,” he said.

Romney cited his successful business experience, his work in bringing the Olympics to Salt Lake City, and his successes as governor of Massachusetts even while having to deal with a majority of Democrats.

“This election is not just about replacing a president,” he said. “This is also an election about setting a course for America. Because this president and the people with him have a very different view about where America should go than I have, and I believe that you have.

“First of all, he would take us towards a greater and greater level of debt,” Romney said. “He is willing to spend a trillion dollars more a year than we take in, every year.”

Obama is taking the country down the same path to economic disaster as Greece, Italy and Spain, he said.

Romney said he will cut the federal budget’s share of the economy from 25 percent to 20 percent and restore fiscal sanity.

He also criticized Obama for his energy policy’s reliance on alternative energy, and his foreign policy, calling his actions regarding Afghanistan naive.

Santorum talks about the threat from Iran

Santorum earned a lot of applause for his comments regarding the relationship between the U.S. and Israel. He too focused on the need to defeat Obama, citing the president’s reluctance to impose sanctions against Iran for its development of a nuclear weapon.

Rick Santorum speaks at a Reno event today ahead of the Saturday GOP caucus. / Photo: Nevada News Bureau.

“This is the quintessential threat not just to Israel, but is the quintessential threat to the world,” he said. “We need a president who will step forward and define the enemy as to who they are.”

Obama’s approach has been one of appeasement, Santorum said.

“We need to stand firm, define the enemy, and do what we did with the Soviet Union,” he said. “Stand up and define evil as the evil they are.”

Paul talks about civil liberties and personal responsibility

Paul took his message of less government and more personal responsibility to an enthusiastic crowd of supporters.

He said of Nevada: “This is a great state because guess what, there are a lot of people here who really like freedom.”

“In the last hundred years I would say we’ve gone in the wrong directions, we’ve gradually have had our freedoms eroded,” Paul said. “We’ve adopted a foreign policy, really, more recently in the last several decades, of a policy that has given us nothing but grief.

GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul speaks at a rally today in Reno. / Photo: Nevada News Bureau.

“And that is a policy of military intervention in other countries for not very many good reasons at all,” he said. “And I think we need to change our foreign policy and bring our troops home.”

Paul said the country would be stronger with less intervention around the world.

“This idea that the more money you spend in militarism the safer we’ll be is a failed policy; it is a myth,” he said.

Paul also said Congress should abolish the Transportation Security Administration, created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The effect of this intense round of Nevada appearances by the four remaining GOP candidates should become clear late Saturday.

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Audio clips:

Mitt Romney says Americans are suffering due to Obama’s failures:

020212Romney1 :32 are real people.”

Romney says the election is about setting a course for America:

020212Romney2 :33 year, every year.”

Rich Santorum says Iran is a threat to Israel and the world:

020212Santorum1 :26 who they are.”

Santorum says the U.S. needs to stand up to Iran like it did to the Soviet Union:

020212Santorum2 :23 of the world.”

Ron Paul says the U.S. has seen its freedoms eroded:

020212Paul1 :27 our troops home.”

Paul says U.S. militarism is a failed policy:

020212Paul2 :32 that is wrong.”

 

 

 

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Democrats Caucus In Capital To Support President Obama For A Second Term

By Sean Whaley | 5:03 pm January 21st, 2012

CARSON CITY – Nearly 250 capital city Democrats took time out today to participate in the party caucus, supporting President Barack Obama in a process that held no surprises for the party faithful.

The caucus at the Carson City Middle School was one of 118 held around Nevada today as the state Democrat Party gears up for the 2012 election.

Carson Democrat caucus leader Marty McGarry reviews the process for participants. / Photo: Nevada News Bureau.

Unlike 2008, when the Democrat nominee was still undecided at the time of the caucus, the nonbinding ballot had two options: the president or uncommitted. Obama was getting strong support among participants.

The Nevada State Democratic Party reported that with 90 percent of precincts reporting, more than 98 percent, or 12,000 participants, supported the president.

Republicans will hold their Nevada caucus on Feb 4. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is expected to be the favorite. He won handily here in 2008.

Life-long Democrat James Stevenson, 75, said he came out to support the president because of concerns that Republicans want to cut back on Medicare and other benefits Americans worked for.

“The Republican Party is trying to blackmail the middle class in this country,” he said. “They have threatened to take our Medicare away, which we pay for ourselves, they don’t pay for it. They want to get rid of the unions because the unions are the backbones of the middle class.”

“People have to wake up to what’s going on in this country,” Stevenson said.

The Democrat party used to stand up to the rich and the greedy, he said. The party today does not seem to be doing that, Stevenson said.

The Democratic Party is using Republican proposals to make cuts to Medicare benefits a major campaign issue. Republicans counter they are trying to make reasonable reductions in spending on Medicare and other entitlements to address the spiraling federal deficit.

Caucus participant Charlie Muller reviews the rules. / Photo: Nevada News Bureau.

Jean Lea, 78, said she came out to support the president even though she hasn’t always voted for the party’s presidential nominee. Lea said she voted for Obama in 2008 and will likely do so again this year.

“My feeling is if I don’t come down and do this I have absolutely no recourse during the next four years to say my piece against or for legislation or anything else,” she said. “If you don’t vote keep your mouth shut.”

Rachel Sigman, an Obama volunteer, urged those attending to get started early in supporting the president’s re-election bid.

It seems as if there is more at stake in 2012 than there was in 2008, she said.

The caucus was the first step in the process of selecting delegates to attend the National Democratic Convention in September. Nevada will send 44 delegates to the convention in Charlotte, N.C.

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Audio clips:

James Stevenson says Republicans are threatening the middle class:

012112Stevenson :25 the middle class.”

Jean Lea says if you don’t participate you have no right to complain:

012112Lea :20 your mouth shut.”

 

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Nevada Ranks 30th In Animal Protection, National Organization Says In New Report

By Sean Whaley | 2:17 pm January 17th, 2012

CARSON CITY – Nevada ranked 30th among the states in how it protects animals in 2011, scoring only 25 points out of a possible 66, The Humane Society of the United States said in a national report released today.

Ranking first with 46 points was California, followed by New Jersey and Oregon with 40 points. In last place was South Dakota with eight points, with Idaho second to last with nine points.

Courtesy of The Humane Society of the United States

Nevada improved its score from 2010, but the organization noted that the state’s laws regarding the possession of dangerous wild animals are weak. Nevada ranked 30th in 2010 but had 24 points, one fewer than in the 2011 report card.

The third annual rating evaluates the states on a wide range of animal protection laws, including animal cruelty codes, equine protection standards, wildlife issues, animals in research and farm animal policy.

“Our Humane State Ranking provides a big-picture look at how states are faring on animal-protection policies, and how they rank in the nation,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. “There are some states that are adopting innovative and strong policies to protect animals, while others are lagging badly. Animal protection is a serious matter for tens of millions of Americans, and we hope state lawmakers fulfill their moral responsibility and help us crack down on abuses.”

Nevada’s ranking was unchanged despite several new measures approved by the 2011 Legislature to further protections for animals.

They included Senate Bill 223, sponsored by Sen. Shirley Breeden, D-Henderson, and Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, known as “Cooney’s Law” after a dog brutally killed with a box cutter, was the highest profile animal welfare measure considered during the session. The new law makes willful or malicious cruelty to pet animals a felony on the first offense. Under previous law, a felony charge could be issued only after a third act of cruelty.

Also winning approval were:

- Senate Bill 226, sponsored by Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, Parks, and Assemblywoman Peggy Pierce, D-Las Vegas, requiring the wildlife commission to regulate leg hold traps in congested areas.

- Senate Bill 299, sponsored by Sen. Mark Manendo, D-Las Vegas, requiring commercial dog breeders to be licensed and to have regular county inspections, bans the stacking of cages and the use of wire floors in puppy mills, and prohibits the breeding of dogs younger than 18 months of age. The bill applies only to commercial breeders selling dogs as pets, and exempts hobby breeders.

- Senate Bill 102, proposed by the Senate Natural Resources Committee, imposes civil penalties for illegally killing or possessing a trophy big game mammal, or for illegally killing or possessing certain wildlife species.

Not all measures were successful.

Senate Bill 364, which proposed to ban horse tripping, a practice of roping a horse’s legs used in some non-sanctioned rodeos, failed to win approval in the Senate Natural Resources Committee. Supporters of the bill, including the Humane Society, said the practice is cruel and does occur in some non-advertised rodeos in Nevada.

Opponents said the proposal was an attempt to open the door to banning other types of rodeo events, and ultimately, rodeos themselves.

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Nevada Among States With Lowest Spending On Health Care And Least Number Of Insured

By Sean Whaley | 2:35 pm December 20th, 2011

CARSON CITY – Nevada ranks 46th among states on spending on health care per capita, according to a report released this month by the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services.

Nevada spends $5,735 per person on total personal health care as of 2009, the report says. The national average is $6,815. The highest per capita spending was found in Massachusetts at $9,278.

Larry Matheis, executive director of the Nevada State Medical Association, said Nevada’s low spending on health care is a reflection of the large number of residents who don’t have health insurance.

U.S. Census data released in October shows that Nevada is the third most uninsured state per capita in the U.S as of 2009.

“On first blush it’s good news that we’re not on the high end of spending per person,” Matheis said. “But a more balanced look at the data says we have a lot of warning signs in this pool of data. It renders a number that looks like we’ve got costs under control. It actually just means we have a big access problem.”

The report found that eight of the ten top states for total health care spending per capita, including Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, are also ranked in the top third in the nation for annual personal income per capita.

Photo by James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Income appears to have an important and positive relationship with health spending,” the report said.

Matheis said the study provides much-needed information as the country moves forward with full implementation of the national health care law.

“They need much better baseline information about how much they are spending and on what with every population and in every part of the country, because a big part of the reform proposals are aimed at trying to, if not reduce costs, reduce the things that lead to higher costs,” he said.

Report also looks at Medicare and Medicaid spending

The report shows that Nevada is in the middle of the pack in terms of Medicare spending per enrollee at $9,692, and ranks toward the bottom of the states on Medicaid spending per enrollee at $6,003. The national averages are $10,365 and $6,826, respectively.

But in terms of the percentage of health care dollars spent on Medicaid, Nevada is lowest among all states at only 8.6 percent. Nevada is the only state where spending is in the single-digits. The highest is New York, where 29.2 percent of all personal health care spending is via Medicaid.

Medicaid is the health care program for low income seniors, disabled and families, the cost of which is shared by states and the federal government.

Charles Duarte, administrator of the state Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, which oversees the Medicaid program, said Nevada’s spending is low because of the policy decision to restrict eligibility. The program also doesn’t offer many optional services that can increase costs.

“We’ve made decisions as a state that we’re not going to expand the program from an eligibility perspective,” he said. “And so in other states Medicaid makes up 14, 15, 16 percent of coverage for people in the state. In some states it is as high as 30 percent.

“We don’t cover as many people in our public programs, but our employers are kind of right in the middle there, slightly above the national average,” Duarte said. “And what the means is the uninsured group are those that could be covered by Medicaid if our rules allowed it.”

Federal health care law expected to affect Nevada Medicaid spending

This situation is expected to change as the Medicaid program expands beginning in 2014 as part of the implementation of the federal health care law, he said. As many as 100,000 new residents could be eligible for Medicaid. There are residents eligible for Medicaid now who are not participating in the program who will have to be covered as well, Duarte said.

The cost of the newly eligible residents will be covered almost entirely by the federal government, but the state will share in the cost of those who are eligible now but who have not signed up for the program, he said.

This Medicaid expansion is one reason Nevada joined with many other states in challenging the constitutionality of the health care law. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the law. Former Gov. Jim Gibbons in 2010 estimated the Medicaid mandate will cost Nevada $613 million over six years beginning in 2014. Gibbons initiated Nevada’s participation in the challenge to the law which is being continued by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

Matheis said there is a strong feeling in the Nevada medical community that the state is under-spending on this population, which will have to change with the implementation of the health care law.

“Nevada is going to go from where we are now, which is a very low spending per Medicaid patient; we’re going to jump a huge amount because there are going to be so many people that will be identified for the new Medicaid expansion that is coming under the Affordable Care Act,” he said.

This rapid expansion will create budget challenges for state lawmakers, Matheis said.

Policy-makers need to seriously consider the data and build it into the state’s planning efforts, he said.

“At some point we do have to invest in a health care system that we want,” Matheis said. “Right now we’re doing that in Nevada minimally and that’s what this report really shows.”

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Audio clips:

Larry Matheis, executive director of the Nevada State Medical Association, says the report provides much needed baseline information:

122011Matheis1 :24 to higher costs.”

Matheis says Nevada will see a big jump in Medicaid spending because of the new health care law:

122011Matheis2 :25 Affordable Care Act.”

Matheis says the news looks good at first, but it suggests there are concerns:

122011Matheis3 :19 pool of data.”

Charles Duarte, administrator of the state Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, says Nevada’s Medicaid spending is low because eligibility is restricted:

122011Duarte1 :15 high as 30 percent.”

Duarte says the uninsured group in Nevada are those who could be covered by Medicaid if eligibility was expanded:

122011Duarte2 :18 rules allowed it.”

 

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Nevada’s Health Ranking Improves In New National Report, But Obesity, Smoking Remain Serious Concerns

By Sean Whaley | 2:55 pm December 16th, 2011

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s overall health improved five spots this year compared to the rest of the nation but still ranks in the bottom 10, according to the 22nd edition of America’s Health Rankings.

Nevada’s health improved from 47th in 2010 to 42nd in the new report.

The good news: Nevada has a lower prevalence of obesity than other states, ranking 4th with 23.1 percent of the adult population identified as overweight.

Smoking has also decreased significantly in Nevada, from 29 percent to 21.3 percent of the adult population in the last ten years.

Photograph by Tomasz Sienicki via Wikimedia Commons.

But these positive developments mask just how serious these health issues continue to be, said Dr. Steven Evans, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare of Nevada.

While Nevada’s obesity rate may be lower when compared with other states, the reality is that in the past ten years, obesity has increased from 17.9 percent to 23.1 percent of the adult population. There are now 470,000 obese adults in the state.

And while Nevada’s smoking rate has declined due in large part to voter approval of tough smoking restrictions in 2006, there are still 434,000 adults who smoke.

“Obesity has actually increased in the past 10 years,” Evans said. “So although we, compared to the rest of the country, have done better, there is still a significant portion of our population that is obese.

“We definitely have not turned the corner on that health issue and it has probably become our No. 1 health issue we need to start worrying about,” he said.

“I almost don’t even want to celebrate the fact that we are less obese than the rest of the United States because we still have significant issues with that,” Evans said.

The report was released earlier this month by the United Health Foundation in collaboration with the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention.

“America’s health rankings from United Health Foundation is an incredibly valuable tool for us to clearly understand health trends facing us as a nation and here in Nevada,” Evans said. “By identifying the key opportunities we face as a state we can pursue innovative solutions to those opportunities.”

The report shows a few other positives for Nevada.

The state has a low incidence of infectious disease, ranking 4th with 4.8 cases per 100,000 of population. Nevada also has a low rate of preventable hospitalizations, ranking 15th at 58.6 per 1,000 Medicare enrollees.

But there is more bad news as well.

Nevada has a low high school graduation rate, ranking 50th with only 56.3 percent of incoming ninth graders graduating within four years. Evans said those with higher education levels tend to have access to health insurance and take better care of their health overall.

Nevada also has a high violent crime rate, again ranking 50th with 661 offenses per 100,000 population, and a low immunization rate, ranking 49th with 84.6 percent of children aged 19 to 35 months covered with the appropriate inoculations.

In the past year, the percentage of children in poverty increased from 17.9 percent to 23.6 percent of persons under age 18. And in the past five years, diabetes increased from 7.1 percent to 8.5 percent of the adult population. There are now 173,000 Nevada adults with diabetes.

The report shows that for the fifth year in a row, Vermont was the nation’s healthiest state. States that showed the most substantial improvement include New York and New Jersey, both moving up six places. Idaho and Alaska showed the most downward movement. Idaho dropped 10 spots, from number nine to 19 in this year’s rankings, and Alaska dropped five places.

It also shows that the nation’s overall health did not improve from 2010 to 2011 because gains in one area were offset by worsening conditions in another.

One example of this stagnation is improvements in the number of smokers being off-set by worsening rates of obesity. The rankings found that, for every person who quit smoking in 2011, another person became obese.

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Audio clips:

Dr. Steven Evans, chief medical officer for UnitedHealthcare of Nevada, says obesity has actually increased in Nevada in the past decade

121611Evans1 :17 that is obese.”

Evans says Nevada’s obesity ranking compared to other states is no cause for celebration:

121611Evans2 :14 issues with that.”

 

 

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DOJ Reports $5.6 Billion In Fraud Recoveries In 2011, $8.3 Million In Nevada

By Nevada News Bureau Staff | 12:49 pm December 13th, 2011

CARSON CITY – The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that it recovered $5.6 billion in civil and criminal fraud efforts in 2011, a 167 percent increase over 2008.

In Nevada, recoveries totaled $8.3 million in 2011, a 137 percent increase over 2008 when $3.5 million was recovered.

Courtesy U.S. Department of Justice.

Of the $5.6 billion recovered by DOJ in 2011, over $2.9 billion was in health care fraud alone, the agency reported.

Nevada was one of 21 states where recoveries more than doubled.

“All across the country, the Department of Justice continues to move aggressively to protect the American people from fraud,” said U.S. DOJ Deputy Attorney General James Cole. “In this past fiscal year, we recovered more money from fraudsters than ever before, over $5.6 billion. These efforts not only send the message that those who commit fraud will be held to account, they also result in more dollars in the national treasury and demonstrate a high rate of return on the American taxpayers’ investment in the Justice Department.”

As a next step in an aggressive campaign to crack down on Medicare fraud, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will direct all Medicare prescription drug plans to use every tool at their disposal to prevent fraud. Patients sometimes “doctor shop,” visiting numerous doctors to get multiple prescriptions for OxyContin, Percocet, and other painkillers and narcotics. In some cases, these medicines are abused by the patients. In others, patients sell the extra drugs.

OxyContin and Percocet abuse, prescription drug fraud, and so-called “doctor shopping” are major problems. The Government Accountability Office recently reported that “170,000 Medicare beneficiaries received prescriptions from five or more” doctors for drugs that are frequently abused, like OxyContin and Percocet.

While not all of these cases are fraudulent, some are. In 2008, for example, one Medicare beneficiary “received prescriptions for a total of 3,655 oxycodone pills [such as OxyContin]…from 58 different prescribers.”

Today, HHS announced they have urged insurance companies to take every step possible to prevent such fraud. Specifically, HHS’ guidance tells prescription drug plans to withhold payment on suspicious claims, including when enrollees use multiple doctors to obtain painkillers and narcotics.

Companies that offer prescription drug plans already process each of a patient’s prescriptions.  While HHS generally requires prompt payment, today’s guidance clarifies that if a plan sees signs of suspicious activity, it should withhold payment to pharmacies until it verifies the claim is valid.

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Nevada Gaming Revenues Jump 8.1 Percent In October, Baccarat A Key Factor In Win

By Sean Whaley | 2:44 pm December 9th, 2011

CARSON CITY – Nevada casinos took in $961 million in October for an 8.1 percent gain over the same month in 2010, the Gaming Control Board reported today.

The Las Vegas Strip took in $561 million for a healthy, double-digit gain of 13.3 percent. A big reason was the $159.3 million in revenue taken in from the card game baccarat, a 74 percent increase over October 2010.

Washoe County saw a significant decline in gaming revenue, however, of 9.3 percent. Eight of the last 10 months in this calendar year have been down in the county.

For the fiscal year-to-date, gaming revenues statewide total nearly $3.6 billion, or just 0.3 percent behind the same period in 2010.

“Really baccarat was the story for the state and the Strip,” said Michael Lawton, senior research analyst for the GCB.

Slot machine / Photo by Jeff Kubina @ Wikimedia Commons

It was the biggest October win for baccarat on record. The “hold” percentage, or the amount retained by casinos on the baccarat wagers, was also high at nearly 19 percent on the Strip, he said. The typical hold on the game is about 12.5 percent.

A number of special events, including an Indy car race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 16, and a fight at the Mandalay Bay on Oct. 29, helped bring in a lot of visitors to Las Vegas, Lawton said.

The gaming revenues boosted state general fund tax collections, bringing in $65 million and reducing the overall gaming tax revenue decline reported for the year so far from a negative 5.5 percent in the previous report to a negative 2.4 percent through the most recent report.

Percentage fee collections are still below the projections made by the Economic Forum in May, but are improved from the September report. After the September report, the state was about $16 million, or 7.4 percent, below what was projected for tax collections. With the October numbers, the state is now about $12 million, or 4.3 percent, below projections.

“But we have quite a bit of time to catch that up,” Lawton said.

There are a number of positive elements in the report, he said. The 13.3 percent double-digit gain on the Strip comes off a double digit gain reported in October of 2010 over 2009 of 16.1 percent.

“This represents the first time since July of 07 that the Strip has faced a double-digit comparison and then matched it with a double-digit increase,” he said. “So that’s very positive.”

Slot machine play was up 5.4 percent on the Strip in October, bringing in $246 million, making it the sixth consecutive month of increases. The volume of slot play on the Strip, or the amount played by visitors, has increased in seven of the last eight months.

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Audio clips:

Nevada gaming analyst Michael Lawton says the story of the October gaming win was baccarat:

120911Lawton1 :30 at 18.78 percent.”

Lawton says the Strip turned in a strong performance on top of a strong October 2010:

120911Lawton2 :10 that’s very positive.”

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National Group Says Brand Name Drug Coupons Will Hike Health Care Costs By $253 Million In Nevada Over 10 Years

By Sean Whaley | 4:48 pm November 17th, 2011

CARSON CITY – The proliferation of brand name drug “co-pay coupon” promotions lure insured consumers from generics to more expensive brands and will increase health care costs by $253 million in Nevada over the next decade, a new national study says.

The use of these promotions by state and local government workers alone will cost Nevada taxpayers an extra $31 million over ten years, the study says.

National Institutes of Health via Wikimedia Commons.

The practice of offering the co-pay coupons will mean increased costs for employers, unions and state employee plans, according to new research from Visante and released by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA). The association represents the nation’s pharmacy benefit managers who work for the health care plans operated by governments, unions and private employers.

“Brand co-pay coupons lure patients from generics to expensive brands and stick employers, unions, and government employee health programs with the extra costs,” said PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt. “In Nevada, taxpayers will pay an extra $31 million just to cover the use of brand co-pay coupons by government workers in state and municipal employee health programs.”

The report says the co-pay promotions are aimed only at those who already have prescription drug coverage. The coupons are banned in both the Medicare and Medicaid programs, but are allowed in the commercial market except in Massachusetts because of its comprehensive health care law.

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Vice President Karl Uhlendorf issued a statement in response to the study: “For years, America’s biopharmaceutical research companies have helped patients suffering from disease access programs that can help them get the medicines they need. Co-pay assistance programs are an example of this kind of help.

“Coupons and vouchers provide an important benefit to patients by defraying the cost of out-of-pocket payments, breaking down barriers to access and encouraging better medication adherence,” he said.

PhRMA represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies. PhRMA members invested an estimated $49.4 billion in 2010 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $67.4 billion in 2010.

In a telephone interview, Merritt said the purpose of the study is to educate consumers about the true costs of the promotions to themselves and their health care plans, many of which are paid in part by taxpayers.

“I think the first step is education to show payers, whether they be taxpayers or businesses or unions, how much money is being wasted by these co-pay coupons,” he said. “And I think that people have not realized that by getting people to switch from generics to brands, and from less expensive brands to more expensive brands, it costs billions of dollars a year and hundreds of millions to each state around the country.”

Merritt said the practice is increasing because their brand drugs are coming off patent, opening them up to competition from generic drugs.

The coupons may be seen as a value by consumers, but the co-pay does not reflect the real cost of the brand drug, he said.

“Health insurance, two-thirds of it is paid by the companies, by the unions, in the case of public workers, by the taxpayers; and so people need to understand there is a cost to this,” Merritt said. “And I think most people don’t know that. They see the coupon and they think, ‘hey great, I’m saving money and no one gets hurt.’ But the reality is ultimately this will lead to higher premiums for consumers.”

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Audio clips:

PCMA President and CEO Mark Merritt says the first step is to educate consumers:

111711Merritt1 :31 around the country.”

Merritt says the practice will lead to higher health insurance premiums for consumers:

111711Merritt2 :23 premiums for consumers.”

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September Gaming Win Down 5.9 Percent Statewide, Baccarat To Blame

By Sean Whaley | 1:13 pm November 9th, 2011

CARSON CITY – Nevada’s gaming win declined 5.9 percent statewide in September over the same month in 2010, with casinos bringing in nearly $54 million less from gamblers, the state Gaming Control Board reported today.

Nevada casinos won nearly $864 million, but nearly every market was down compared to September 2010. Las Vegas Strip casinos brought in $491 million, down 5.7 percent over the same month in the prior year.

One exception was Washoe County, which posted a modest 0.23 percent gain over September 2010.

The report was a disappointment because there were special events in Las Vegas that lured visitors, including a major fight, and the reporting period also had an extra Friday compared to September 2010, said Gaming Control Board analyst Michael Lawton.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. won the Sept. 17 fight against Victor Ortiz at the MGM Grand.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority today reported visitor volume increased 5.5 percent in September to 3.29 million. It was the 19th consecutive month of visitor increases.

As usual, baccarat, the card game played by high rollers on the Las Vegas Strip, played a major role in the monthly gaming revenue report.

Despite being the third best September ever for baccarat win at $81.9 million, revenues were down 36.2 percent over September 2010.

“Historically that is a very strong September,” Lawton said of the baccarat win.

Without baccarat factored in, the state win was down only 0.95 percent in September, he said.

Another hit on the monthly revenues came in the sports books, which brought in $20.1 million, down 44.2 percent from September 2010.

For the first three months of the 2011-2012 fiscal year that began July 1, gaming revenues statewide total $2.6 billion, 3.1 percent below the same period in the previous fiscal year.

Gaming tax collections total $199.5 million so far this year, 5.5 percent below the $211 million collected in the same period last fiscal year.

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Audio clips:

Nevada gaming analyst Michael Lawton says baccarat was down 36.2 percent:

110911Lawton1 :09 or $46.4 million.”

Lawton says baccarat played a role in the disappointing September revenue report:

110911Lawton2 :11 down $53.8 million.”

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New Federal Report Shows Broader Unemployment Measure High But Holding Steady In Nevada

By Sean Whaley | 12:04 pm October 28th, 2011

CARSON CITY – A broader measure of Nevada’s unemployment picture, including those who have given up looking for work, showed no change through the third quarter of 2011, holding at 23.3 percent, a federal report released today shows.

The quarterly report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, showing data through Sept. 30, mirrors the status of Nevada’s official jobless rate for September, which also remained steady at 13.4 percent from August.

The report shows a state-by-state unemployment measure that encompasses discouraged workers and those who are working part time even though they would like full-time employment. When these individuals are counted, the unemployment rate is much higher than the official rate released each month nationally and by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

Nevada again ranked worst among the states at 23.3 percent in the report, which covers 12 months of data. Nevada also has the highest official unemployment rate among the states.

Occupy Wall Street protestor. / Photo: David Shankbone via Wikimedia Commons.

The national rate in the quarterly report improved slightly to 16.2 percent from 16.3 percent through June 30, 2011.

California was again in second place in the report at 21.6 percent, also a slight improvement from the 21.8 percent reported through June 30.

Nevada and California are the only two states in the nation with a rate above 20 percent.

The “Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization for States, Fourth Quarter of 2010 through Third Quarter of 2011 Averages,” shows six different jobless rates using different measures. The broadest definition, U-6, includes “discouraged workers,” defined as people who want work but who had not searched for work in the previous four weeks because they believed no jobs were available to them. It also includes “marginally attached” workers, defined as those who had not looked for work in the previous four weeks for any reason.

Finally the measure includes those employed part-time for economic reasons, defined as those working less than 35 hours per week who want to work full time, are available to do so, and gave an economic reason – their hours had been cut back or they were unable to find a full-time job – for working part time. These individuals are sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that this broader definition of unemployment is based on relatively small sample sizes at the state level.

While Nevada’s official jobless rate held steady in September, Bill Anderson, chief economist for the Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, noted some modest signs of improvement in the monthly report released Oct. 21.

While still in the double digits, the 13.4 percent official jobless rate is below the 14.9 percent reported for Nevada in September 2010.

Nevada’s battered economy was a focus of the visit by President Obama to Las Vegas on Monday. Nevada’s high jobless and home foreclosure rates are expected to be major issues in the 2012 general election.

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Obama to Talk Home Refinancing in Las Vegas Following Romney’s Controversial Foreclosure Remarks

By Elizabeth Crum | 11:46 am October 24th, 2011

LAS VEGAS – President Obama will today announce he is expanding a federal aid program to allow more homeowners to refinance their mortgages at today’s low interest rates, said White House officials this morning.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s announcement on changes to the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) includes enabling borrowers who are current on payments to refinance their mortgages regardless of the value of their homes, said  HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and Director of the National Economic Council Gene B. Sperling on a White House conference call.

Under the previous program’s guidelines mortgage restructuring was available only to homeowners owing no more than 125 percent of their property’s present appraised value, a restriction that prevented homeowners in hard hit states such as Nevada and California from getting relief.

The revised federal program would also reduce the number of homeowner-paid appraisals during the refinance process, reduce the cost of title insurance and lien processing, and even possibly reduce closing costs in states hardest hit by the mortgage crisis, including Nevada.

The economic and political impact of the new housing initiative is iffy in light of the high foreclosure rate and 13.4 percent unemployment rate in Nevada.

The state continues to lead the country in distressed property rates, according to RealtyTrac’s most recent U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. Additionally, Las Vegas has five times the foreclosure rate of the national average in metropolitan areas with populations of at least 200,000.

The housing issue will likely be an oft-used political football in Nevada between now and the November elections.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney caused a stir last week when he suggested home foreclosures should be allowed to “hit the bottom” to help the housing industry recover.

In an interview published Tuesday ahead of the CNN presidential debate, Romney told Las Vegas Review Journal‘s editorial board he thinks the foreclosure crisis can best be ended by allowing banks to proceed against homeowners who have defaulted on their mortgages. New investors could then buy and rent out those homes until the market adjusted, he said.

“As to what to do for the housing industry specifically and are there things that you can do to encourage housing: One is, don’t try to stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom,” Romney said.

Democrats are criticizing Romney as being callous and out of touch with middle class Americans.

“Mitt Romney’s message to Nevada homeowners struggling to pay their mortgage bills is simple: You’re on your own, so step aside,” President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign spokesman, Ben LaBolt, said in a statement last week.

Sen. Harry Reid also chimed in. “Nevada has the highest foreclosure rate in America, and it has for almost three years. And here’s what Mitt Romney said: He would just let them hit rock bottom,” Reid said during a press conference in Washington D.C. “I don’t know what’s more graphic than that, in how we have different views of what the world should be like than our Republican friends.”

Obama is also expected to talk about his jobs initiatives when he speaks to a struggling East Las Vegas neighborhood this afternoon.

The president has been urging Congress to pass portions of the American Jobs Act, a $477 billion package of tax cuts and new federal spending aimed primarily at creating or saving public sector jobs.

Obama is also today holding a campaign fundraiser at Bellagio.

White House officials said Obama this week will be announcing a number of executive actions on the economy during a Western states tour that includes southern California and Colorado.

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GOP Rejects Same-Day Registration for Caucuses

By Elizabeth Crum | 11:48 am October 22nd, 2011

As first reported by me (Thursday on Twitter), the embattled state GOP caved to pressure and scuttled the “same-day registration” discussion panel it had planned for Saturday’s central committee meeting at the Venetian Hotel.

Numerous party execs and elected officials (who declined to be named lest their voice mailboxes be bombarded with further protests) lamented the situation but said they were unable to convince concerned members that ineligible voters, Democrats and/or union members would not show up en masse and use on-site registration to interfere with the Republican caucuses.

Despite removal of the controversial topic from the agenda and the fervent prayers of state party officials that it would not come up, a motion was still made from the floor to never, ever, EVER talk about same-day registration again. Ever. For reals.

Sen. Dean Heller said Friday he was disappointed, believing same-day registration could have boosted GOP voter rolls by tens of thousands, as it did for Democrats in 2008.

Nevada Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian and other state and county GOP leaders will now be left to register voters the good old-fashioned way.

One Clark County Republican Party leader with whom I spoke wondered whether the same whipped-up activists who vehemently opposed same-day registration will “get off their duffs and assist” with registration efforts.

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Yes, Really: Nevada Republicans Poised to Move Caucus Date

By Elizabeth Crum | 8:58 am October 20th, 2011

Hey, guys:

If the ruby-slippered girl from Kansas had capitulated to the demands of the wicked witch (“SURRENDER DOROTHY“) and her flying monkeys, poor Toto might still be stuck in Oz.

But:

As reported by Ralston last night and confirmed by numerous sources inside the state party, Nevada Republican leaders are going wobbly and reconsidering their Jan. 14 caucus date.

Many forces are at play here:

– The ire of New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner who has been threatening to move the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary to December if Nevada does not move its date back

– Firm but friendly pressure from the Iowa GOP

– Pressure and promises of future benefits from the Republican National Committee

– The threat of a boycott of Nevada’s caucuses by a number of presidential candidates who heart New Hampshire and have no chance in Nevada

– The worry about perceptions amid accusations from some party members that Team Romney influenced the executive board’s decision to move the caucus date into January (the earlier date did help Romney and put other candidates at a disadvantage because his campaign has the greatest amount of existing infrastructure)

– Concern with a whipped-up faction of the central committee who were already unhappy with an attempt by the executive board to adopt same-day voter registration rules for the Republican caucus

– Anger among party members that these decisions were made by the executive board behind closed doors and without consulting the general membership of the party

– The worry about an expected challenge to newly elected GOP chair Amy Tarkanian at this Saturday’s central committee meeting in Las Vegas

It remains to be seen whether party leaders will just go ahead and pick a new date before Saturday, or whether they will wait until this weekend when more than 200 Republicans are presently expected to vote on the matter.

Amy Tarkanian has repeatedly said Nevada will not hold the caucuses on a Tuesday, which means the most likely new date is Feb. 4.

As one embattled and audibly exhausted state party official told me in a phone conversation, Nevada “will still be first in the west” and will “still matter” — but with Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida all preceding the Silver State, it sure won’t matter as much as if the the Jan. 14 date had stood.

The Nevada Dems yesterday hassled the GOP about their reconsideration via a scathing press release (and an appearance by their memorable chicken mascot). Here’s their statement:

“Nevada Democrats moved our caucus date to bolster Nevada Republicans’ courage to stand up to Florida, who has violated rules agreed upon by both national Parties and is jeopardizing our hard-fought status as a presidential early-voting state. We are disappointed Nevada Republicans are now willing to risk Nevada’s status as an early voting state because they are afraid to stand up to the Republican National Committee’s empty threats and hollow promises. And since their threats against Florida proved toothless, the Beltway-minded RNC isn’t in the best position to honor promises like the ones they have reportedly made to the Nevada Republican Party. No matter what they have told in-state Republicans about securing Nevada’s third-in-the-nation status in future elections, Florida demonstrated the RNC is powerless to stop such actions. Since it would be a deep embarrassment to the state if Nevada Republicans wave the white flag on keeping our early voting status, we therefore strongly urge Gov. Sandoval and state Republicans not to retreat in this fight.”

 

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Challenges With Unemployment Insurance Funds Could Lead To Reforms, Tax Foundation Report Says

By Sean Whaley | 3:54 pm October 17th, 2011

CARSON CITY – A report from the Tax Foundation on unemployment insurance taxes says 34 states have had to borrow $37 billion from the federal government to pay jobless benefits, and employers around the country face the prospect of higher tax rates as a result.

“Businesses are in danger of facing higher UI (unemployment insurance) taxes at a time when private sector hiring is already at a low level,” says the background paper by Joseph Henchman titled “Unemployment Insurance Taxes: Options for Program Design and Insolvent Trust Funds” released this month.

Henchman, vice president of legal and state projects at the Tax Foundation, said the adverse conditions currently existing within the unemployment insurance programs could be an impetus for reforms, such as experimenting with individual accounts to encourage saving.

“These changes can enhance the program’s ultimate goal of ensuring a viable safety net for transition periods between employment,” he said.

Nevada is one of those states borrowing from the federal government to pay benefits, an amount that totals $773 million so far. Even so, the Nevada Employment Security Council voted earlier this month to recommend against raising the tax next year from its current 2 percent average rate. The taxes are assessed on the first $26,400 of an employees’ wages.

The rate was raised in Nevada for this calendar year to 2 percent from 1.33 percent. Concerns over stifling job creation led to the recommendation to maintain the 2 percent tax rate into next year, even though it means the federal loans won’t be paid off until 2018. The rate will be formally set later this year by the state Employment Security Division.

The Tax Foundation report shows that Nevada was one of nearly 20 states with a healthy trust fund when the national recession began in December 2007. But Nevada’s highest-in-the-nation jobless rate depleted the fund and required the state to borrow from the federal government beginning in October 2009.

Of the 34 states that have borrowed to pay benefits, seven have repaid the loans, either by dipping into general funds or by borrowing instead from the private sector, Henchman said in his report.

Joseph Henchman of the Tax Foundation.

The idea of having Nevada borrow money on its own to pay benefits instead of relying on loans from the federal government was considered by the Nevada Legislature but was not pursued.

States that have repaid their federal loans are Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Texas.

States have to pay interest on the borrowed federal funds starting this year. Nevada was the only state to get an extension on its $22.5 million interest payment until June 30, 2012, due to the state’s high unemployment rate. Other states had to make their interest payments by Oct. 1 of this year.

In addition to raising taxes on employers, several states have opted to reduce unemployment benefits.

Nevada pays benefits for 26 weeks as do most states, although federal funding has allowed payments to be extended for up to 99 weeks during the recession.

States reducing the number of weeks of benefits are Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and South Carolina. Three states, Florida, Rhode Island and South Carolina, also implemented reforms to their unemployment insurance programs.

The Tax Foundation reports that in Florida, reforms include an expansion of what constitutes misconduct that would make someone ineligible for benefits, and making laid-off employees who get severance pay ineligible for benefits.

“Lawmakers have an opportunity to take a new look at benefit levels, program requirements, and whether such programs should be expected to accomplish additional fiscal and social policy goals,” Henchman said.

Nevada has not thus far considered reforms to its unemployment insurance program.

The Tax Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan tax research organization based in Washington, DC.

 

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Halloween Spending Trend Should Help Nevada Retailers

By Nevada News Bureau Staff | 6:45 am October 17th, 2011

Two trends could make Halloween a treat for Nevada retailers this year.

Halloween vintage postcard (circa 1920)

The National Retail Federation (“NRF”) estimates 68.6 percent of Americans 18 years and older will celebrate Halloween this year, the most in the NRF’s survey history.  Additionally, those celebrating are expected to spend approximately $72.31 on decorations, costumes, candy and other holiday items, up $6.03 from the $66.28 reported last year.

Assuming national trends aren’t playing tricks on Nevada, 1.4 million residents 18 years and older will spend money on the spooky holiday this year. If each Nevadan celebrating the holiday spends the expected average of $72.31, total spending in the state will reach $99 million.

The current year estimate represents an increase of 17.3 percent compared to last year when an estimated 63.8 percent of the population celebrated the holiday, spending $66.28 on average.

According to the NRF’s survey, 43.9 percent of Americans plan to dress up in a costume this year, up 3.8 percentage points from last year. And dressing up is not limited to humans. The concept of dressing pets continues to rise in popularity, and 14.7 percent say they will dress up their pet in a costume, up 3.2 percentage points from the 11.5 percent reported last year.

In addition, the survey reported that 22.9 percent of Americans will visit a haunted house, 73.5 percent will hand out candy, 47.8 percent will carve a pumpkin and 32.9 percent will take their children trick-or-treating, all up more than 1.0 percentage point from 2010.

However, the state of the U.S. economy continues to have a negative impact on the holiday for some, with 32.1 percent of Americans saying it will affect their Halloween plans, up 2.0 percentage points from last year.

The NRF noted that as a non-gift holiday, people can do more to celebrate Halloween without having to tighten their budgets too much.

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