Medicaid contracts approved

The Board of Examiners approved a series of contracts Tuesday to provide medical and other services to the needy, children and disabled.

The two largest were matching contracts to Anthem Blue Cross and Sierra Health Plan of Nevada for $308 million apiece. Human Resources Director Mike Willden said the two contracts will provide Medicaid services to more than 170,000 people who are eligible in Nevada - "primarily moms and kids."

He said the elderly and disabled are primarily covered by "fee for service" contracts.

Anthem and Sierra, he said, are the primary managed care providers who mostly provide services in urban areas of Nevada.

The money to cover the contracts is just over half (53.93 percent) federal. The remaining 46.07 percent comes out of the state budget.

In addition, the board approved two contracts with Clark County totaling $400 million to cover uncompensated medical costs incurred in southern Nevada by people hospitalized who don't have the resources to pay.

The board, consisting of Gov. Kenny Guinn, Attorney General George Chanos and Secretary of State Dean Heller, also approved more than $4.5 million from the state's Disaster Relief Account to cover the cost of wildland fire suppression this summer. Bills submitted for June totaled $2.4 million. Those from July came to just over $2.1 million.

Director of Administration Andrew Clinger said there is about $5.5 million left in that account to handle firefighting costs expected in August and September.

• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.