Nevada Health Insurance Consumer Guide

In order to sign up for private health coverage through Nevada Health Link, you must:⁶

• Live in Nevada
• Be lawfully present in the United States
• Not be incarcerated
• Not be enrolled in Medicare

By those rules, most Nevada residents qualify to use the exchange. But a bigger question for most people is financial assistance, and there are a few additional parameters in order to be eligible for subsidies in Nevada’s exchange. 

To qualify for income-based Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTC) or cost-sharing reductions (CSR), you must:

• Not have access to affordable health coverage through an employer. If you have access to an employer’s plan but it seems too expensive, you can use our Employer Health Plan Affordability Calculator to see if you might qualify for premium subsidies via Nevada Health Link. 
• Not be eligible for Medicaid or Check Up (CHIP).

Beyond those basic parameters, qualifying for Nevada Health Link subsidies depends on your household income and how it compares with the cost of the second-lowest-cost Silver plan in your area.

You can sign up for an ACA-compliant individual or family health plan in Nevada between November 1 and January 15, which is the annual open enrollment period. 

For coverage to take effect on January 1, you need to complete your application by December 31. (This is later than the deadline in many other states). If you enroll between January 1 and January 15, your coverage will take effect on February 1.⁷

Outside of the annual open enrollment window, you may be eligible to enroll if you experience a qualifying life event, such as giving birth or losing other health coverage. Note that some people can enroll year-round even without a specific qualifying life event.⁸ 

Enrollment in Nevada Medicaid/Check Up (CHIP) is available year-round.

To enroll in an ACA Marketplace/exchange plan in Nevada, you can: 

• Visit Nevada Health Link, which is Nevada’s health insurance exchange (another word for Marketplace). Nevada Health Link is an online platform where you can compare plans, determine whether you’re eligible for financial assistance, and enroll in the plan that best meets your needs. 
• Purchase Nevada Health Link coverage with the help of an insurance broker or navigator.⁹

You can reach the Nevada Health Link call center by calling 1-800-547-2927, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides income-based subsidies that can help lower your premium payments each month. These subsidies are available to Nevada residents who meet the eligibility requirements and enroll in coverage through Nevada Health Link.

Eighty-six percent of Nevada Health Link enrollees were receiving premium subsidies as of early 2023, and these subsidies reduced their average health insurance premiums by $439/month. After subtracting subsidies, the average enrollee’s premium was about $104/month.¹⁰

If your household income is below 250% of the federal poverty level, you may also be eligible for cost-sharing reductions (CSR), which will reduce your deductible and other out-of-pocket expenses. These benefits are built into Silver-level plans if the applicant is eligible for them. As of 2023, nearly half of Nevada Health Link’s enrollees were receiving CSR benefits.¹¹

You can use both APTC and CSR benefits if you’re eligible for both and you select a Silver-level plan through Nevada Health Link (APTC can be used with plans at any metal level, but CSR benefits are only available on Silver plans).

Depending on your income and circumstances, you may be able to enroll in free or low cost health coverage through Medicaid or Check Up (Nevada’s CHIP).You can learn more about whether you might meet the criteria for Medicaid in Nevada.

Source: CMS.gov¹²

For 2024 coverage, eight insurers will offer exchange plans in Nevada, including two newcomers:

• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (HMO Nevada)
• Health Plan of Nevada
• SelectHealth
• Silver Summit
• Aetna Health 
• Hometown Health Plan 
• Imperial Insurance Companies (new for 2024)
• Molina Healthcare of Nevada (new for 2024)

There are a total of 163 plans available through the exchange for 2023, up from 127 in 2022 and just 27 in 2020.¹³ For 2024, the number of available on-exchange plans will drop slightly, to 157.¹⁴

For 2024 coverage, the following average rate changes have been proposed by the insurers and are under review by the Nevada Division of Insurance:¹⁵

Source: Nevada Division of Insurance ¹⁶

The proposed rate changes amount to an overall average rate increase of 2.9%:

It’s important to remember that these average rate increases are for full-price plans, and most enrollees do not pay full price: As of 2023, 86% of Nevada Health Link enrollees were receiving premium subsidies that reduced their monthly payments.¹⁷ 

The subsidy amount is different for each enrollee and changes each year depending on the cost of the second-lowest-cost Silver plan relative to the enrollee’s household income. As a result of the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, subsidies are larger and more widely available than they were in the past, and that will continue to be true at least through 2025.¹⁸

Changes in full-price premiums depend on the insurer and the plan (premium changes vary across the plans that each insurer offers), as well as the enrollee’s age and zip code.

For people who receive premium tax credits – which includes the vast majority of Nevada Health Link enrollees – the net premium change also depends on how much the subsidy amount changes from one year to the next. 

If the cost of your current plan is increasing for the coming year, you may want to consider some of the other plans that are available in your area through Nevada Health Link. You might find some that are less expensive and offer similar benefits.

According to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data, 95,930 people selected private plans through Nevada Health Link during the open enrollment period for 2023 coverage. ¹⁹

Effectuated enrollment is always a little lower than the number of people who select plans during open enrollment. CMS reported that effectuated enrollment through Nevada Health Link stood at 93,262 people as of early 2023. ²⁰ 

Source: 2014,²¹ 2015, ²² 2016,²³ 2017,²⁴ 2018,²⁵ 2019,²⁶ 2020,²⁷ 2021,²⁸ 2022,²⁹ 2023,³⁰ 2024³¹

Nevada Health Link: This is Nevada’s Marketplace, used to enroll in individual/family health plans and receive income-based subsidies. You can contact Nevada Health Link at 800-547-2927.

Nevada Department of Health and Human Services: The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) administers Medicaid and Check Up (CHIP), as well as other social services programs. You can reach Nevada DHHS by phone at (775) 684-4000 or by email at [email protected]

Nevada Division of Insurance: Regulates Nevada’s insurance industry, and assists consumers and businesses with insurance-related questions and concerns.  

Nevada State Health Insurance Assistance Program: A local service for Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers. Provides information and assistance with questions related to Medicare eligibility, enrollment, and claims.