A Las Vegas neurosurgeon who’s called Nevada home for 50 years is running for Congress, and he thinks he can cut your healthcare costs by a third. Dr. Aury Nagy will launch his 2026 campaign Thursday evening at Paymon’s Fresh Kitchen, announcing his bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Susie Lee with a promise to bring “lasting prosperity to Southern Nevada.”
Nagy brings a unique perspective to the race – he’s spent over 20 years fixing people’s brains and spines in Southern Nevada, and now he wants to fix our broken healthcare system. But this isn’t just about one doctor’s ambition. It’s about taking power away from Washington bureaucrats and insurance company executives and giving it back to patients and families.
A Nevada Family’s Medical Legacy
Nagy isn’t new to Nevada or healthcare. Born in New York but raised right here in Las Vegas, he graduated from Bishop Gorman High School before heading to Yale University for economics and Baylor University for medical school. His family has deep roots in Southern Nevada’s medical community. His father, Dr. Nafees Nagy, was the area’s first oncologist, and his mother, Dr. Shamim Nagy, also dedicated her life to caring for patients.
This family legacy matters because Nagy understands what healthcare used to be like before big government and big insurance companies took over. When doctors could focus on healing instead of paperwork and profit margins.
The Problem: When Profits Come Before Patients
Nagy puts the healthcare crisis in simple terms:
“Currently, a CEO of a health insurance company is incentivized to charge the maximum amount of money he can to patients while delivering the minimum amount of care possible so he can maximize the profit for his shareholders.”
Think about that for a minute. Your insurance company makes more money when they deny your claims and charge you higher premiums. It’s like hiring a contractor who gets paid more for doing less work on your house. That’s backwards, and it’s exactly what conservatives have been saying about big corporations gaming the system.
This is why healthcare costs keep going up while service gets worse. Insurance companies have become middlemen who profit by standing between you and your doctor. It’s the opposite of the free market principles that actually work.
A Conservative Solution: Give Power Back to People
Nagy’s plan sounds radical, but it’s actually based on old-fashioned American values. He wants to turn health insurance companies into “mutual insurance companies.” Here’s what that means in plain English: instead of shareholders owning the insurance company, the people who buy the insurance would own it.
Think of it like a credit union versus a big bank. Credit unions are owned by their members, so they focus on serving members instead of making Wall Street rich. Nagy wants the same thing for health insurance.
“When you have this mutual insurance company model, the incentives for the CEOs of the health insurance companies are aligned with the people who need the care,” Nagy explained.
This isn’t government taking over healthcare. It’s the opposite; it’s taking power away from big corporations and big government and giving it back to regular Americans.
Leading Healthcare Reform Before Running
Nagy isn’t just talking about healthcare reform; he’s been leading it.
He founded the White Coat Party of Nevada, a grassroots group of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and therapists who want to fix the state’s broken healthcare system. These are the people who actually take care of patients, not politicians or insurance executives.
He also served as President of the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners until August 2024, giving him firsthand experience with how government regulations can help or hurt patient care.
The Stakes Are High
Nagy believes he can cut healthcare costs by about a third. Imagine keeping that much more money in your pocket every month. Those savings could go toward “bolstering Social Security or education or reducing taxes,” he said.
For conservative families struggling with medical bills, this matters. Healthcare costs are crushing middle-class budgets. Young families are choosing between having kids and affording health insurance. Seniors are rationing medications they need to survive.
Nagy’s Background Raises Questions
Nagy isn’t perfect. He’s faced three malpractice lawsuits over his 20-year career, with settlements totaling more than $530,000. But he points out that about 20 percent of neurosurgeons face malpractice litigation every year – it comes with the territory when you’re doing life-and-death surgery.
“You take care of people for 20 years, we’ll have some unhappy patients, but for all of the patients you take care of, you do your level best to provide the best care that you can,” Nagy said. “And there are thousands upon thousands of patients who we have successfully helped to live better lives.”
What Happens Next
Nagy faces an uphill battle. Rep. Lee has won every election since 2018, beating Republican challengers each time. But 2026 could be different if Americans are still frustrated with high healthcare costs and government overreach.
If you support Nagy’s approach, you can get involved in his campaign or support other candidates who want to reduce government control over healthcare. The key is finding solutions that empower individuals and families instead of giving more power to Washington or big corporations.
The choice is clear: more government control of your healthcare, or a free-market approach that puts you back in charge. Nagy’s betting that Nevada voters want their freedom back.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
