Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Nevada health plan exchange braces for cut to rural counties

Rural Nevada residents will no longer have access to health insurance and subsidies under Nevada’s exchange.

The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange announced today that its insurance carriers were eliminating coverage next year to 14 out of 17 Nevada counties. Exchange Executive Director Heather Korbulic said in a news release that she and staff members are working to ensure that those counties have access to other resources.

Clark, Washoe, and Nye counties will still be covered.

"I consider this a health care crisis for rural Nevada, and it is extremely concerning to me that thousands of Nevadans may lose access to affordable health care," Korbulic said. "Regardless of the uncertainty surrounding the future of health care reform, the exchange is focused on how to implement a successful open enrollment for plan year 2018.”

Gov. Brian Sandoval said his office is seeking options for rural Nevada residents who will be affected by what he called devastating and unfortunate decisions.

“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,” he said. “The reduced footprint of carriers on the exchange will leave more than 8,000 Nevadans with no coverage, and that is unacceptable.

He said his office is working with carriers, the exchange and the Division of Insurance, and he hopes to find a solution.

“The expansion of Medicaid and subsidized Qualified Health Plans in Nevada has helped to dramatically reduce uninsured rates for these individuals,” Sandoval said. “Lack of coverage in rural Nevada will set back the years of work we have done to reduce the uninsured rate throughout our state.”

Anthem Inc. spokeswoman Kelli Stauning released a statement from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield that cited Nevada’s volatile insurance market and federal uncertainty in its decision to only file in three counties in 2018.

Lacking support, Senate Republicans recently delayed a vote on a new health bill to replace the Affordable Care Act.

“As the Individual marketplace continues to evolve, Anthem will continue to advocate solutions that will stabilize the market to allow us to expand to a more robust presence in the future,” the Anthem statement said.

Health care uncertainty in Washington, D.C., and from President Donald Trump is pushing health insurance companies out of some markets, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said.

“Rural Nevadans struggle the most when it comes to access to affordable health care, and it is disappointing that President Trump’s reckless actions have led Anthem to reach a decision that will give Nevadans far less options for health care coverage that works for them,” Cortez Masto said. “President Trump’s efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act must stop at once.”

Division of Insurance Commissioner Barbara Richardson said that her agency is “disappointed and concerned” about the loss of the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies and cost sharing assistance in these communities.

“Four carriers have applied to offer plans on the exchange in Clark, Washoe and Nye counties,” Richardson said. “The Division has been flexible in working with carriers during this time of uncertainty in the health care market. This included working with carriers on an amendment to a bill that the governor recently signed into law that allows carriers additional time to revise (Qualified Health Plan) applications.

“We strongly encourage our exchange carriers to expand proposed QHP service areas to ensure that all Nevadans will continue to have access to exchange plans,” Richardson said. “The division will continue to collaborate with the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange, the office of Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and insurance carriers to come up with potential solutions to help Nevada consumers in the remaining 14 counties without a current exchange product.”

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