When it comes to the healthcare system in Nevada, three words are key: quality, access and affordability. The new administration and upcoming legislative session will likely sway these key factors in one direction or another. With 2017 nearly upon us, it comes as no surprise that Nevada executives are eager to know how these changes will affect their businesses. The Silver … [Read more...]
Keep on the Sunny Side: Power Poll 2016
Optimism is in the air as 2016 ramps up and that positivity is making its way through Nevada’s business community as executives and business owners continue to see improvements. The year started with some big announcements for economic diversification in the state, including projects moving into Southern Nevada’s Apex and continued optimism in the north with new businesses … [Read more...]
The Office Market: Slow and Steady into the Future
As a mixture of economic indicators appear to show the recession in our rear view mirrors, movers and shakers in Southern Nevada’s office market are cautiously planning ahead for slow and modest growth in the coming months. “The trending is moderate growth overall due to a bettering economy,” says Lance Bradford, founder of Stable Development in Las Vegas. “There are … [Read more...]
Industry Focus: Accountants
With looming regulatory changes and increasingly complex tax laws, accountants must keep pace in order to remain as trusted advisors for business owners. Recently, Nevada accounting executives met at the Las Vegas offices of Gordon Silver to discuss the challenges in their industry. Connie Brennan, publisher of Nevada Business Magazine, served as moderator for the event. … [Read more...]
Health Insurance Update: The Real Cost of Healthcare
The healthcare industry, over many years, has been undergoing a gradual but major shift in how insurers pay providers. Against that backdrop, the state began implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) mandates, several of which the federal government has delayed or amended since. The ACA or Obamacare, as it has become known, has caused additional … [Read more...]
Power Poll 2014: The Bounce Back
Optimism characterizes the mood of Nevada executives this year. Whether it’s waving goodbye to the recession or already having moved on to bigger and better things, business owners and executives have officially brushed off the oppressive economy and are now working on the bounce back. The 2014 Power Poll marks the twelfth year executives have weighed in on various issues … [Read more...]
Preparing for the Affordable Care Act
No issue in last five years has been as polarizing as health care reform. Baring a repeal of the law, however, ACA will forever change the way Americans obtain health insurance coverage, access health care services and view the health care system. For businesses, understanding and complying with ACA will soon become a reality of everyday life. The many upcoming changes … [Read more...]
High-Income Households Face Uncertain Impacts from Healthcare Changes
Wealthy Nevadans are not exempt from healthcare uncertainty in the face of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This is according to the 11th installment of the "High Net Worth Report" released by The Private Bank by Nevada State Bank. One major impact will be a 0.9 percent increase in payroll taxes for those making $200,000 or more. Changing delivery systems and … [Read more...]
The Coming Tsunami: Healthcare Reform in Nevada
Amidst dire predictions of monstrous cost increases, and in the wake of President Barack Obama’s recent unilateral (some insist unconstitutional) decision to delay enforcement of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer mandate until after the 2014 elections, business leaders across Nevada are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. There is little else they can do. Across the … [Read more...]
What is your greatest concern regarding the Affordable Care Act?
“My main concern is insurance rates. The goal of ObamaCare was to get more people covered at affordable costs. However, with mandates, rating changes, etc going into effect next year it does not appear insurance rates will be going down anytime soon – especially for the younger, healthy population who we need in the risk pool!” Melissa Davies, RHU • Benefit Solutions … [Read more...]
Healthcare in Nevada: Prognosis Encouraging
Nevada’s 2013 healthcare checkup reveals an industry under an unprecedented combination of pressures – little surprise there – but also one that is holding its own, moving quickly to adapt, gearing up to provide the best patient care possible, and looking confidently to the future. “Nevada’s healthcare industry is in a state of flux as a result of the changes occurring on a … [Read more...]
Teacher’s Health Trust: Putting Teachers at Risk
The Clark County Education Association (a.k.a. teachers union) has once again proved that its leaders care more about their own power than about their members or the community. The latest controversy arose when it was revealed that the health trust created by the union is in dire financial straits. At a closed union meeting on January 29, John Vellardita, executive director of … [Read more...]
Fair and Balanced: The Role of Conservative Media
The White House has been trying since Obama’s first term to silence dissent, targeting conservative media outlets and conservative commentators. Why? Because they seem to be the only ones asking the hard questions. Who else is asking what really happened at Benghazi and why four of our citizens were left there to die? Who else is asking why the drone program is killing U.S. … [Read more...]
Healthcare Check-Up: Meeting the New Challenges
There’s no shortage of uncertainty swirling around Nevada’s healthcare industry: from the challenges of the local and national economies to insurance regulations and the implications – even the contours and very existence -- of Obamacare. The outlook, however, is decidedly optimistic. And with good reason. “One of the advantages of healthcare is that it’s been projected … [Read more...]
Why Vote Against Obama? Eight Compelling Reasons
Barack Obama was elected in 2008 with a message of hope and change. Unfortunately, the change we got was for the worse. There is little hope left that the country can pull itself out of the recession anytime soon, and we’re left hoping that the Middle East won’t erupt into flames that will consume us all. There are hundreds of reasons to vote for a change of administration in … [Read more...]
What the Obamacare Decision Means for State Policymakers: Court gives states the option of financing congressional scheme
Few decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court have captured the public interest as did its June opinion in NFIB v. Sebelius. This long-anticipated ruling was widely perceived as the final judicial test for one of the most controversial acts of Congress in decades: the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare. The challenge centered on whether Congress has the … [Read more...]
Power Poll 2012
For the past several years, Nevadans have seen a multitude of changes in the state’s economic landscape. Unfortunately, many of those changes have been negative. Despite that, in this year’s tenth annual Power Poll, many executives maintain an optimism that was illustrated in last year’s poll and show hopes for the future of the Silver State. The Power Poll survey was sent … [Read more...]
“Baseless” Case Merits Five and a Half Hours Before U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to review the case brought by 26 states challenging the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Some legal commentators believe that this is the most significant case to come before the Supreme Court since Roe v. Wade. Underscoring the importance of the constit Tutional questions posed by the case, the … [Read more...]
The Evolution of Healthcare: A Changing Industry
In many ways it seems that while healthcare technology may change, healthcare itself – the providing of health services to patients – would remain fairly stable through the years. Not true. Healthcare has been changing, in the way it’s delivered to consumers, the way consumers access and use it and the way healthcare service providers are reimbursed. Two of the biggest … [Read more...]
ObamaCare will Squeeze Education, Other Needs: Nevada Medicaid commitments on track to crowd out alternative priorities
Often lost in the debate over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) — the sweeping health care “reform” legislation popularly known as ObamaCare — is the impact it will have on education, public safety and other public services as health insurance subsidies begin to consume a greater share of state spending. Congressional Democrats claimed, when passing … [Read more...]
