The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce understands the need to improve health care in the United States. Health care concerns are centered on two primary issues – the high and rapidly-rising cost of health care, and the millions of uninsured Americans, including those temporarily uninsured due to changes in employment. The following are the Las Vegas Chamber’s principles for health care reform:
COST: Lowering the cost of health care must remain a top priority of any reform package including:
Transparency: Full transparency relating to the cost and quality of care is necessary to improve cost consciousness. Connecting health care consumers to the actual cost of care is an integral component to cost control.
Tort Reform: Medical malpractice reform would reduce health care costs by helping to eliminate unnecessary testing and treatment that is done defensively to avoid risk of litigation.
Efficiency: Ineffective or redundant care accounts for a large portion of health care costs. Changes that incent quality care and cost reduction rather than quantity of care would help reduce costs.
Mandates: Elimination of insurance mandates would allow less expensive and, therefore, greater access to, coverage. A minimum standard essential benefit package, pegged to a Health Savings Account-compatible high deductible health plan, should be established to allow individuals and businesses to select coverage appropriate for their needs.
Bureaucracy: Streamline and simplify health care administration, including claims management.
Wellness: Emphasize preventative care, wellness and chronic disease management.
COVERAGE: Appropriate coverage for all Americans, with a focus on an improved private insurance market is also a high priority. Competition: Private delivery of health care must be retained and improved, and competition must be enhanced. Creating a new government run system or a public option is not supported.
Choice: Business owners and consumers need more choice of insurance plans and options. Interstate restrictions and benefit mandates hamper choice.
Play or Pay: Requiring employers to offer insurance they can’t afford will kill job growth, stifle entrepreneurship and do nothing to address the real issue of skyrocketing health care costs. A payroll levy on firms who can’t afford the benefit is an ill-conceived way to fund health care reform and will likely result in fewer jobs and reduced wages and benefits.
Financing: Health care reform should not be financed on the backs of businesses or individuals who already have coverage.
Portability: Employees should be able to change jobs without losing their health insurance.
Tax Reform: Providing tax credits or deductions for individuals without access to health insurance from an employer, or for the self-employed, would expand the number of individuals covered when not employed. Cost-sharing, including vouchers, should also be provided for those truly unable to afford basic coverage. Provide tax incentives for long-term medical care coverage including tax deductibility of long-term care premiums and inclusion of long-term care insurance in Section 125 cafeteria plans.
Individual Responsibility: Once unnecessary insurance mandates are eliminated and equitable tax treatment of individuals is put in place, require those who can afford to purchase basic health insurance to do so. Subsidize those who cannot afford to purchase basic insurance on their own with cost-sharing limits that take ability to pay into consideration.
Pre-existing Conditions: Provide an affordable option for those with pre-existing conditions who do not have access to coverage through their employer.
For more information contact the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Department at 702.641.5822.
The anti-business, anti-employee federal legislation wrongly-named the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) is a serious threat to the business community. We need you to let our elected officials in Washington, DC know how destructive the fallout of this bill would be toyour business TODAY.
The deadliest of the EFCA provisions is binding arbitration, which would allow either party in a first contract dispute to defer to federal mediation after only 90 days and locking you into a two-year labor agreement. That means the federal government could ultimately be the decision-maker for private employees on issues such as pay, pensions, health care and working conditions, taking you out of the mix.
Negotiations are taking place to remove the "card check" provision from the bill that would prevent secret ballots in union voting. While preserving employees' right to a secret ballot is a positive step, this is still a very dangerous piece of legislation that will be disastrous to businesses.
The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce visited policy-makers in Washington, DC to voice our concerns and strong opposition to this detrimental piece of legislation. We have also sent out numerous Calls to Action through Advocacy in Action and you have answered our calls. While the health care debate has mostly dominated the headlines from Washington, DC lately, this devastating bill could be voted on as soon as the August Congressional recess is over. It is imperative that you contact our lawmakers in Washington, DC TODAY to let them know how harmful this legislation would be to your business.
Call the Members of our Nevada Congressional Delegation TODAY and tell them EFCA is a job and economic recovery killer.
U.S. Senator Harry Reid (EFCA Bill Co-Sponsor):
702-388-5020 or 202-224-3542
U.S. Senator John Ensign:
702-388-6605 or 202-224-6244
U.S. Representative Shelley Berkley (EFCA Bill Co-Sponsor):
702-220-9823 or 202-225-5965
U.S. Representative Dean Heller:
702-255-1651 or 202-225-6155
U.S. Representative Dina Titus (EFCA Bill Co-Sponsor):
702-387-4941 or 202-225-3252
The efforts of the Chamber in protecting your business from potentially-costly and harmful legislation on all levels of government is supported by the financial resources of the Chamber's Business Political Action Committee or BizPAC.
Here are just a few of the accomplishments made possible through your support of BizPAC:
Please help us continue to fight these proposals in the
halls of the City, County, State and U.S. Congress
by investing in BizPAC today.
The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, through its government affairs department, plays an active and important role in protecting the pro-business climate in Southern Nevada. By driving public policy on behalf of the business community at the state, local and federal levels, the government affairs department represents your interests in the halls of government and is a critical part of your Chamber membership.
The Chamber counts on the active support of members to drive our pro-business political endeavors. Your engagement is critical in enabling the Chamber to help protect your bottom line. Through the Chamber's Advocacy in Action program, members are updated with the latest developments on key issues and mobilized when legislation affecting business comes before various decision-makers. The goal of the Chamber's grassroots program is to influence policy decisions by allowing our members' voices to be heard.
The Chamber's government affairs department works tirelessly to allow your business to continue taking advantage of Nevada's pro-business environment. In 2009 the Chamber's advocacy efforts defeated countless anti-business legislation and passed numerous pro-business bills into law. Click here to view the accomplishments achieved at this year's session that directly impact business.
Attention Chamber Members:
Starting this month, Clark County Commissioners and Las Vegas City Council Members will be holding town hall meetings to hear public input on budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. This is your opportunity as a taxpayer and voter to send a strong message to each of your elected officials about what is important to you, your family and the success of your business.
We have heard from many of you that you or others you know have had to decrease wages and benefits, reduce your workforce, or have been forced to make other drastic business decisions in light of the ongoing economic challenges. The town hall meetings are a good opportunity for you to share the benefit of your experience as a business person and concerns as a constituent with your elected officials on how you think your taxpayer dollars are best spent in our community. You are encouraged to attend and take the City of Las Vegas online survey.
Below are links to information, dates and locations for the town hall meetings to be held by each of the County Commissioners and each of the Las Vegas City Council members. The meetings will be held in each Commission District and Council Ward, and the public is invited to attend to assist our elected officials in determining community priorities during these difficult times. This is your chance to see local government at work and to participate in the process.
Clark County Commission Town Hall Meeting Schedule
City of Las Vegas Town Hall Meeting Schedule and Online Survey
Verify Your District letter or Ward number
Key Legislative Dates
• Modified Business Tax (MBT or Payroll) decreases to 0.50% for first $250,000 of payroll ($62,500 base per quarter)
o Note: Sunsets on June 30, 2011
• Modified Business Tax (MBT or Payroll) increases to 1.17% for all payroll over first $250,000 per year (over $62,500 each quarter)
o Note: Sunsets on June 30, 2011
• Business License Fee doubles from $100 to $200 per year.
o Note: Sunsets on June 30, 2011
• Sales and Use Tax increases 0.35%.
o Note: Sunsets on June 30, 2011
• Starting on August 14, 2009 date, businesses with 50 or more employers will be required to grant 4 hours of unpaid leave to parents, guardians or custodians of children to participate in certain school activities. The time must be mutually agreed upon between the employer and the employee, with 5 days notice.
• On September 1, 2009 registration fees on vehicles older than 9 years increases from $6 to $16, and reduces the amount of depreciation allowed on such vehicles.
JANUARY 1, 2011
• Certain health care plans and policies of insurance will be required to provide coverage for autism screening and treatment as of this date.
Invest in your business' future by investing in BIZ PAC. The Chamber's political action committee is dedicated to supporting candidates and initiatives the support and grow a strong local economy.
The Chamber commissioned a series of reports by Jeremy Aguero of Applied Analysis and Guy Hobbs of Hobbs, Ong & Associates to help determine where taxpayer dollars are currently being spent and to provide a factual foundation from which the Chamber can make informed public policy recommendations.
More Chamber: 
6671 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 300, Las Vegas, NV 89119
Phone: (702) 641-5822 Info Center (702) 735-1616 Fax: (702) 735-0406