14 Nevada counties including Carson City, Douglas and Lyon to lose 2018 health plans
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Wed, 06/28/2017 - 2:13pm
Nevada’s insurance carriers that make up the state-based health insurance exchange will participate in three counties: Clark, Washoe, and Nye beginning in 2018, leaving Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, Storey and 10 other counties in Nevada without access, health officials learned Wednesday.
The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange was informed by the state's insurance division of the decisions. It means individuals and families who currently purchase insurance on the Exchange and live in impacted counties will no longer have access to any Qualified Health Plans or their federal subsidies, in effect creating a healthcare crisis in 14 rural counties where residents will have no access to subsidized QHPs through the Exchange based on Plan Year 2018 healthcare plan filings by insurance carriers.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval called the decisions "devastating and unfortunate" in a press statement and said he is diligently working to identify solutions to ensure there is, at the very least, a safety net available to rural Nevada residents who would otherwise be left without any options for coverage.
"I have communicated the news of this crisis to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and the state will pursue all available options to help the individuals and families who will be hurt by this decision. The reduced footprint of carriers on the Exchange will leave more than 8,000 Nevadans with no coverage, and that is unacceptable,” said Sandoval.
“The expansion of Medicaid and subsidized Qualified Health Plans in Nevada has helped to dramatically reduce uninsured rates for these individuals. Lack of coverage in rural Nevada will set back the years of work we have done to reduce the uninsured rate throughout our state," Sandoval continued. "My office has been engaged with the carriers, the Exchange and the DOI and I am hopeful that we will find a solution that will benefit consumers in our state’s bare counties.”
The Exchange, Nevada’s state agency that helps individuals obtain budget-appropriate health coverage through the online marketplace, Nevada Health Link, continues to collaborate with Governor Sandoval, the DOI and Health and Human Services to identify solutions for more than 8,000 consumers in Carson City and the counties of Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey and White Pine.
"I consider this a healthcare crisis for rural Nevada, and it is extremely concerning to me that thousands of Nevadans may lose access to affordable healthcare," said Heather Korbulic, executive director for the Exchange. "Regardless of the uncertainty surrounding the future of healthcare reform, the Exchange is focused on how to implement a successful Open Enrollment for Plan Year 2018. Given significant disruptions to the individual market in both the long and short term, my staff and I are doing everything within our control and influence to secure resources for consumers in these 14 counties."
The Exchange was established per Nevada Revised Statues (NRS) in 2011 by the State of Nevada, and operations began in 2013, on the belief that all Nevadans deserve access to health insurance. Nevada Health Link, the state-based online marketplace, supported by healthcare.gov, allows Nevadans to shop for health insurance and provides federal tax credits and subsidies to help cover the cost of insurance for those who qualify.
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