Major Health Insurance Changes In Nevada After Reform

Changes To Nevada's Health Insurance

Nevada would see major changes to its healthcare system, the changes would be introduced over a number of years, and would include: 

• Health insurance exchanges would make health insurance coverage affordable for the 518,000 uninsured Nevadans and the 132,000 with nongroup health insurance coverage.
  
  
• Health insurance premium tax credits would be available to 311,000 Nevadans.
  
  
• Free preventative healthcare services would be provided to 328,000 senior citizens.
  
  
• The Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" would be remedied, so that 58,200 senior citizens would be paying only half the cost of the brand name medications.
  
  
• The small business tax credit would allow 24,000 small businesses to benefit from lower health insurance premiums. 70% of Nevada's businesses are actually small businesses. In 2008, only 49% of them offered health insuarnce coverage. A small business tax credit being proposed would help to ensure that premiums are affordable. Employer responsibility provisions would also be eliminated.

Early Healthcare Benefits Enjoyed By The 2.6 Million Nevadans in 2010 and 2011

• Consumers will no longer have lifetime limits on their health insurance coverage. Annual limit use will be altered and health insurance companies will not be allowed to drop coverage arbitrarily.
  
  
• There will be options available to those ineligible for health insurance. Presently there are 9% of Nevadans with Diabetes and 27% with high blood pressure who struggle to get health insurance. Insurers often deny coverage for these two groups. A high-risk pool established by the reform bill will give such people health insurance options.
  
  
• Free preventative services will be available. Of the preventative tests that have been neglected, 44% of Nevadans have not undergone a colorectal screening for cancer and 28% of women aged 50 and above have neglected to get a mammogram for the past two years. Prevention and public health will be encouraged through funds invested for these purposes.