Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Guest column:

Nevadans, here’s your chance to get covered this open enrollment season

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Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-NV, responds to a question during an editorial board meeting at the Las Vegas Sun office in Henderson Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019.

As we enter the holiday season, Nevadans are busily shopping, preparing their family dinner menus and looking forward to celebrating the holidays with family and friends. A vital part of those preparations should also be ensuring that they have the health insurance their families need for 2020.

Open enrollment for 2020 health insurance plans began Nov. 1, and Nevadans have until Dec. 15 to visit Nevada Health Link and select a plan that meets their needs. Nevada Health Link has the resources to guide you every step of the way.

Nevadans looking to enroll in a plan for 2020 must sign up on NevadaHealthLink.com or by calling 1-800-547-2927. Free, in-person assistance is available at community health centers, libraries and shopping malls throughout Las Vegas to answer questions and help people choose a plan based on their budget, age and health history.

Enrollment professionals can also help Nevadans and their families identify subsidies and tax credits they may qualify for to help lower the cost of health insurance.

The Affordable Care Act has allowed many Nevada families to sign up for affordable, comprehensive health insurance plans on the Silver State Health Exchange at reduced or no cost.

In fact, more than 8 out of 10 people who sign up for coverage through Nevada Health Link are eligible for financial assistance. For example, a family of four in Clark County with an income of $54,000 could qualify for plans as low as $110 per month. Many families also qualify for additional savings through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which were expanded through the Affordable Care Act in 2012.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Nevada Health Link plans available to Nevadans on the exchange also are comprehensive. Before the ACA, insurance companies were able to charge more or deny coverage to patients with pre-existing conditions like pregnancy, asthma and diabetes. Not only did the ACA ban that practice, but all plans available on the exchange now guarantee coverage for a list of 10 essential health benefits, including prescription drugs, maternal health services, wellness visits and mental health services.

Since its inception, the Affordable Care Act has helped more than 400,000 Nevadans, including 158,000 children, gain coverage. It has also protected the more than 1.2 million Nevadans under age 65 who have pre-existing conditions from having to pay more for care or being denied coverage by insurance companies.

The ACA has benefited virtually every constituency in Nevada, helping bring down uninsured rates and uncompensated care losses in rural Nevada, providing additional resources for those struggling with substance abuse, and ensuring that more than 19,000 young adults in the state can stay on their parents’ coverage until age 26.

Despite its successes, the Affordable Care Act is not perfect. That’s why I’m fighting in the Senate to expand coverage, lower costs for middle-class families and reduce prescription drug prices. Our work is not done, but even so, I’ve heard from countless Nevadans who have told me that the ACA has been a lifeline for them and their families. I’m committed to working to ensure that lifesaving, comprehensive coverage is available for all Nevadans who need it.

As we look forward to 2020, I hope families in the Silver State know that they can access health coverage. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to speak with a Nevada Health Link enrollment counselor to find the coverage that is right for them and sign up for affordable, quality health insurance.

Start the new year right by giving yourselves and your family the peace of mind of being covered.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., is the first woman from Nevada and the first Latina elected to the U.S. Senate. She previously served as Nevada’s attorney general.