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Understanding Nevada Medicaid Renewals: Your Guide to Continued Healthcare Coverage

Insurance
May 21, 2024

In our last blog, we took you through what the end of the Public Health Emergency means for Nevadans on Medicaid— this time, we’ll be answering all your questions about how to avoid a gap in healthcare coverage during this time of potential uncertainty.

Redetermination & Special Enrollment Period Extensions

You may already know that the Medicaid eligibility redetermination process resumed last year in April 2023. In response, Nevada Health Link is extending the Special Enrollment Period through November 30, 2024, for those who no longer qualify for Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). 

Our hope is that this extension provides a critical opportunity for individuals and families affected by the Medicaid redetermination, helping them secure affordable, qualified health insurance without waiting for the annual Open Enrollment Period in November.

How Can I Avoid a Gap in Coverage?

Tens of thousands of Nevadans have lost healthcare coverage during this period of Medicaid renewals, and only about 4% of Nevadans who were deemed ineligible for Medicaid benefits have enrolled in a plan through NevadaHealthLink.com. If you lost or are at risk of losing coverage, don’t worry! Options are available— you may be able to get health coverage through Nevada Health Link, the state’s online health insurance marketplace offering comprehensive plans for families and individuals.

WHY CHOOSE NEVADA HEALTH LINK?

Affordable Coverage

Loss of health insurance coverage is a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) that can qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) any time of year through Nevada Health Link—  the only health insurance resource that can provide you with federal tax credits and subsidies to help cover the cost of your insurance. About 10% of Nevadans enrolled in health insurance through Nevada Health Link have $0 monthly premiums, and half have premiums under $100.

Flexible Plans

Over 160 Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) across seven private insurance carriers are available through Nevada Health Link (number of available plans vary by county). Plans are categorized by different tier levels: bronze, silver, gold, and catastrophic. Each tier’s prices are different as well as their level of coverage, offering a broad range of flexible options.

10 Essential Health Benefits

No matter what metal tier, every plan you can find through Nevada Health Link is comprehensive, covering the 10 Essential Health Benefits which include doctors’ visits, prescriptions drugs, lab services, maternity care and more. Dental and individual vision plans are also offered— learn more about what’s covered here

Expert Enrollment Assistance

Expert assistance is always available to you. Use the look-up tool to find FREE enrollment assistance near you from a certified enrollment assister. The call center at 1-800-547-2927 is  open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST.

What Should I Do Now?

If you’ve received a Redetermination Packet, complete and send it back to the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services as soon as possible. If approved, your coverage will be renewed with no further action needed!

If you were deemed ineligible for Medicaid renewal, you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period through Nevada Health Link, allowing you to get enrolled in an affordable Qualified Health Plan. Please note that even if you no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage, your children may still be eligible for CHIP, the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

If you had Medicaid coverage and lost it, or will lose it soon, you should contact Nevada Health Link or a Certified Enrollment Counselor or Broker/Agent in Nevada and see if you’re eligible to enroll in coverage through an SEP. If you know you will lose coverage, you can enroll in a Qualified Health Plan up to 60 days prior to your loss of coverage, with a coverage start date based on your loss of coverage. This will allow you to avoid a gap in coverage dates.
Click here for more information on Medicaid enrollment.

Get Help Over SMS Texting!

To go along with the Special Enrollment Period extension, Nevada Health Link is excited to announce a new SMS texting initiative! Our goal with this outreach is to provide you with simple instructions and enrollment assistance in a convenient way.

Nevada Health Link will be reaching out via SMS to households whose information was received as part of their account transfer process from Medicaid. Wondering if the text came from us? Just remember that all Nevada Health Link texts can be identified by their attached images of the Nevada Health Link logo and the Nevada State Seal.