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Yeager bill would cap insulin for everyone in Nevada

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Yeager bill would cap insulin for everyone in Nevada


LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, D-Clark County, on Thursday introduced a bill that would cap insulin prices at $35 per month for patients with private health insurance in Nevada.

WATCH | What a cap on insulin prices would mean for Nevadans

Yeager bill would cap insulin for everyone in Nevada

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Yeager’s bill — Assembly Bill 555 — comes with less than a month to go in the 2025 legislative session, which is scheduled to adjourn on June 2.

The bill was referred to the Assembly’s Commerce & Labor Committee for hearings and a preliminary vote.

Legislative leaders have a small number of emergency bills they can use to introduce legislation late in the session, irrespective of deadlines for regular lawmaker and committee bills. AB 555 is one of Yeager’s emergency measures.

“With the passage of this legislation, we are placing a hard cap on the cost of insulin for private insurance, no more than $35 for a 30-day supply,” Yeager said at a morning news conference. “This is a promise we’re making to tens of thousands of Nevadans who live with diabetes and have struggled for far too long with outrageous, unpredictable prices.”

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Yeager recounted stories from around the state, including parents skipping insulin doses so their children won’t miss theirs, or senior citizens splitting vials to stretch their supply for a whole month.

“This is not, and should not, be acceptable,” Yeager said. “And under Assembly Bill 555, it won’t be tolerated.”

According to the American Diabetes Association, 26 states and the District of Columbia already cap insulin prices. That includes Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.

Insulin price caps for people on Medicaid have been implemented at the national level, initially on a trial basis. President Joe Biden made them permanent when he signed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, limiting costs to $35 per month.

But people on private insurance can pay varying rates, which prompted Yeager to introduce his bill. He said at his news conference that he looked forward to getting the bill through the Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who is set to introduce his own health-care measure soon.

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Barb Hartzel, whose daughter has Type 1 diabetes, spoke at the news conference as well, discussing how critical insulin is in her daughter’s care.

“Insulin is not optional for my daughter,” Hartzel said. “It is not a luxury. It is not negotiable.”

Despite that, she said families are cutting doses, delaying picking up refills or having to choose between groceries and their medicine. “What price tag would you put on your child’s life?” she asked.

Back in 2017, Nevada lawmakers approved a bill that requires pharmaceutical companies to list the wholesale cost of prescription drugs that treat diabetes. But that bill didn’t cap prices the way Yeager’s measure seeks to do.

Do you have questions about politics, elections or government? Email us using the Ask Steve link on our website.

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Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads

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Nye County Sheriff urges caution after deadly month on rural Nevada roads


A string of deadly crashes in and around Pahrump has prompted Nye County Sheriff Joe McGill to push for more safety measures along dark, sidewalk-free roads.

“The worst penalty is death, if you consider that,” McGill said.

The recent deaths include a single-vehicle rollover on State Route 160 during the morning hours of the last Wednesday in January that killed one person and injured another.

Then, into February, two pedestrians were killed in less than three days.

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The first was a 7 p.m. crash on Quarter Horse Avenue. Investigators believe a 2006 Jeep Liberty was driving on the street when it hit a pedestrian, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

A few days later, this last Saturday, state troopers responded to a crash just after sundown at Charleston Park Avenue. A sedan hit a pedestrian, who was also pronounced dead at the scene.

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Nevada State Police investigators are still investigating both pedestrian cases before more details are released.

McGill said the recent crashes were enough to spur action.

“When the third one came out, I was sitting at home and watching TV. I looked at my wife and I said, ‘We got to do something about this,’” McGill said.

McGill is responding with a reflective vest giveaway, pointing to limited infrastructure as a possible factor. He noted a lack of street lights off State Route 160 and no sidewalks inside the community.

“The only light that you have is the ambient light from houses and cars so it is really dark,” McGill said.

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John Treanor of AAA Nevada said poor visibility can quickly turn dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians.

“It is very easy to be confronted with a situation that you cannot see coming because the visibility might be bad,” Treanor said.

Treanor encouraged pedestrians to carry lights and drivers to be prepared if they end up outside their vehicles in dark conditions.

“Having lights on you. Even carrying a flashlight allows something where a driver can see it,” Treanor said. “If you are a driver, make sure you have the right stuff in your car, in case you do get in a situation where you are on the side of the road and now you are in dark. Make sure you have a kit with some reflectors, some lights. Anything the trunk of your car in case you need it.”

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McGill said vigilance is important even in daylight.

“Any time of the day, you have got to be vigilant. You have to keep aware of your surroundings if you are a walker or on a bicycle or if you are the driver,” he said.

Authorities also urged caution as more people may pull off roads in rocky areas along the route toward Death Valley National Park during springtime blooms, increasing the need for drivers and pedestrians to stay alert.

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Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for $46 Million

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Mansion on the Nevada Side of Lake Tahoe Swiftly Sells for  Million


A waterfront mansion on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe just sold for $46 million, less than three weeks after hitting the market. 

The speedy deal marks a departure from the typical U.S. market.

Nationwide, homes took a median 78 days to land a buyer in January, five more than the same time last year and the 22nd straight month of homes taking longer to sell on a year-over-year basis, according to data from Realtor.com. 

Mansion Global Boutique: Book Lovers Rejoice: 8 Must-Haves To Build Your Perfect Reading Nook

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The lavish log cabin-like residence, in Incline Village, listed on Jan. 24 for $47.5 million. It sold 20 days later, on Feb. 13, listing records show. 

The more than 7,000-square-foot residence was built in 2014, and has double-height living spaces, walls of windows, beamed ceilings, fireplaces, and plenty of rustic exposed stone and wood, listing images show. 

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There’s also a gym, a wet bar, a spa, a wine room, an office, two separate game rooms, seven bedrooms and dramatic Lake Tahoe views. Outside, there’s a private sandy beach, multiple decks, a heated driveway and two exterior fireplaces, according to listing information. 

MORE: Visited by Kings and Larger Than Manhattan, Giant Scottish Estate Asks £67 Million

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The seller and the buyer are both limited liability companies, according to property records. Both parties were represented by Jeff Brown of Tahoe Mountain Realty, who declined to comment on the deal. 

The median home price in Incline Village was $1.595 million as of December, a fall of 3.3% from a year earlier, according to data from Realtor.com. Listings, meanwhile, spent an average of 130 days on the market. 



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Green Valley edges Liberty in Class 5A softball — PHOTOS

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Green Valley edges Liberty in Class 5A softball — PHOTOS