SB376 revises Nevada’s industrial insurance laws, with a focus on occupational lung disease and occupational heart disease claims for certain workers covered under the state’s occupational disease statutes. The bill creates a narrow exception to the usual provider-selection rules: if the Administrator’s panel has fewer than 12 physicians or chiropractic physicians in the relevant specialty who are accepting new patients and can see the injured employee within 30 days, the employee may obtain treatment from a physician or chiropractic physician of their own choice, subject to specified conditions. The bill also allows the employee, or a health or casualty insurer that paid the bill, to seek full reimbursement from the employer or responsible insurer/administrator, and it imposes a penalty of double the unpaid reimbursement amount if payment is not made within 30 days after a proper request.
Impact
The bill amends multiple sections of NRS chapters 616C and 616B governing workers’ compensation and occupational disease treatment. It modifies provider-selection rules, reimbursement procedures, and related notice provisions for claims under NRS 617.455 and 617.457, while also updating references in related statutes on medical billing, disability certification, hearings, and appeals. In addition, it authorizes notices and other documents in industrial insurance hearings and appeals to be served through an electronic filing system compliant with Nevada Supreme Court rules. The changes apply prospectively to claims filed on or after October 1, 2025.
Sentiment
The voting history suggests the bill was broadly supported and not especially controversial in final passage. It passed the Senate 20-1 and the Assembly 40-0, indicating strong bipartisan approval. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so the available record shows support through the votes but does not reveal detailed debate or amendments.
Contention
The main policy issue appears to be balancing injured workers’ access to timely specialty care against insurer and employer control over provider networks in the workers’ compensation system. The bill’s exception is limited to situations where the panel lacks enough available specialists, which suggests concern about access to care for firefighters, police officers, and other claimants with occupational lung or heart disease. The reimbursement and penalty provisions may also be a point of concern for insurers, third-party administrators, and employers because they create a mandatory repayment timeline and a doubled-payment consequence for noncompliance. No recorded committee objections are available, but those are the parties most likely affected by the new obligations.