Smooth Start to Health Insurance Enrollment on Nevada’s Exchange

Nevada’s health insurance enrollment period is running smoothly so far, though the director of the state’s exchange under the Affordable Care Act says there may still be challenges.

The state’s exchange is run through the healthcare.gov platform, a change implemented after failed software bungled the rollout in 2013 and led to lawsuits. Heather Korbulic, executive director of the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange, said people who need to purchase insurance on the exchange have 45 days instead of 90 to enroll.

“Yesterday went well, knock on wood,” she said Thursday. “But I’m still really concerned about healthcare.gov’s ability to handle the 45-day open enrollment period.”

She said she hasn’t learned of any steps that have been taken to ensure that the platform’s infrastructure can handle the number of applicants who will have less time to enroll, or a contingency plan if the site goes down. People will also have less time to use the site on weekends.

“It’s an interesting relationship,” she said. “They’re our regulator and our vendor.”

Korbulic said she was encouraged by the first day of the open enrollment period and the calls coming into the exchange’s call center.

About 80 percent of consumers on Nevada’s exchange qualify for subsidies. Customers with the exchange’s one returning carrier, Health Plan of Nevada, who do not qualify for subsidies can expect to see a 36 to 38 percent increase in premiums.

The open enrollment period ends Dec. 15.

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