Nevada’s Sandoval prefers governors’ healthcare plan over Heller’s bill

Gov. Brian Sandoval issued a statement Tuesday saying while he’s working with Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., on healthcare, he prefers the bipartisan approach offered by the governors association.

The bill authored by Lindsay Graham of South Carolina and Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy would distribute federal healthcare money in the form of block grants to the states. Heller is one of the sponsors of that measure.

“I continue to believe the framework authored by bipartisan governors is the best path to improve our healthcare system but will continue to work with Sen. Heller on healthcare solutions for the state of Nevada,” said Sandoval in a statement.

Sandoval is one of the governors who has signed onto the bipartisan governors association proposal.

A group of 10 governors issued a letter to Senate leadership Tuesday urging the Senate not to consider the Graham-Cassidy-Heller plan.

In addition to distributing the money through block grants, the bill would end the Medicaid expansion that provided health insurance coverage to more than 100,000 additional Nevadans.

Heller said the plan is the best solution to repeal and replace Obamacare.

“Our plan moves decision-making to the states and provides each state the flexibility needed to innovate, develop and implement new options to bring down costs and increase coverage,” he said

Heller charged the plan would actually give Nevada more funding.

The governors on Tuesday called for renewed efforts to find a bipartisan solution to the problem.

That path is currently being pursued by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., in committee hearings seeking to at least find a short term fix for the insurance market.