LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — We're taking a closer look at a bill that could be a game changer when it comes to hospice care across Nevada.
Assembly Bill 161, introduced by Assemblywoman Rebecca Edgeworth, would tighten oversight, require hospice programs to accept Medicare, and set stricter rules on how they operate.
We reached out to Edgeworth to learn more.
"Why is this bill so critical or many people here in Southern Nevada?"
"There's been an influx of bad hospices that have come into this community and into our state," she said. "They're providing terrible care to people again, not the hard longstanding hospices that have been here that provide care that is a blessing to patients, but people are providing terrible care."
In 2023, federal regulators rolled out enhanced oversight for new hospices in Nevada and three other states.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said that was spurred by "numerous reports of hospice fraud, waste, and abuse" and serious concerns about market oversaturation.
As for Assembly Bill 161, that will now head to a work group for further discussion.
