LAS VEGAS, NV (KXNT) - The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange, the state agency that connects Nevadans to Qualified Health Plans through the online State Based Exchange (SBE), known as Necada Health Link, is extending the Open Enrollment Period for Plan Year 2021 from November 1 through January 15, 2021.
The Exchange is extending the deadline to enroll by an additional 30 days, giving consumers a total of 75 days to enroll in a comprehensive health care plan.
Nevada Health Link is the only place Nevadans can access subsidies to help offset the costs of insurance, and over 80 percent of consumers who purchase a plan through the Exchange are eligible for financial assistance.
“We have endured an alarming volume of uncertainty and change surrounding COVID-19 which stunned the world earlier this year and continues to dictate how we live and work for the foreseeable future,” said Heather Korbulic, executive director, Silver State Health Insurance Exchange. “While we are still more than three months from Open Enrollment for Plan Year 2021, we are working proactively to ensure consumers have more time to explore and purchase health insurance through Nevada Health Link. Today, more than ever, health coverage is critical. If there is anything we’ve learned from the pandemic, it’s that COVID-19, like most illnesses and injuries, does not discriminate. We hope the Special Enrollment Period will help us move the needle and further close the gap of uninsured residents statewide.”
Nevada Health Link’s qualified health plans cover the ten essential health benefits mandated by the Affordable Care Act, including but not limited to pre-existing conditions. This includes emergency and ambulatory services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, prescription drugs, lab services and mental health services, to name a few. Consumers should know that care related to COVID-19 is covered by all plans offered through Nevada Health Link.
Nevada Health Link says that Nevada residents who experience qualifying events, such as job loss, marriage, birth of a child, moving, loss of health insurance or Medicaid denial may be eligible to enroll for a Qualified Health Plan anytime during the year.
Consumers who recently lost their job or had a change in income may also be eligible to receive more subsidy assistance to help pay for their health plans, and therefore they should contact Nevada Health Link rather than canceling their health insurance plans. A qualified health plan may be a more cost-effective alternative to COBRA.
To learn more, visit https://www.nevadahealthlink.com/sep or in Spanish: https://www.nevadahealthlink.com/sepes.