Nevada Watch
Featured news in this section focuses on Nevada, the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange (Nevada Health Link), the Nevada Division of Insurance (in the Department of Business and Industry), and actions by the state legislature affecting insurance brokers and clients.
Nevada health officials say they're hopeful about the direction of the state's COVID-19 outbreak as reported cases, deaths and hospitalization trends remain favorable and the state gradually reopens following a winter surge.
People age 55 and older can self-report to their pharmacist any underlying health conditions that make them eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, Nevada health officials said.
Since its launch in 2008, the Nevada Drug Card prescription drug discount program has saved Nevadans $99 million on prescription medications through December 31, 2020. The card offers savings of up to 80 percent on both brand name and generic medications at more than 68,000 pharmacies nationwide.
One in four Nevadans are now enrolled in Nevada’s Medicaid program, which is a federally-funded health insurance program. The increase is being attributed to the pandemic and economic downtown.
Cano Health describes its entry into the Las Vegas market on a simple principle to address a basic unmet need: Health care is a necessity, and accessible, preventive and proactive care was not available at wide scale to low-income, minority patients.
Experts now say there’s a simple reason why Nevada’s COVID-19 vaccine allotment has seemed low for months. Fast-growing states have been disadvantaged due to the federal government’s reliance on old population data.
Nevada’s new $6 million vaccine management and appointment system has debuted in Clark County for eligible Nevadans.
President Joe Biden signed a package of health care-related executive orders in late January that, among other initiatives, will reopen HealthCare.gov for a special, three-month insurance enrollment period starting Monday, Feb. 15.
Nevada is on the cusp of launching a statewide COVID-19 vaccine appointment registration system, with a soft launch planned in Clark County next week. Officials expect the new unified system will replace individual ones currently used by local governments.
Nevada health officials on Monday reported 391 new COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths. The latest numbers reported by the state bring the pandemic totals in Nevada to 288,739 known cases and 4,720 known deaths.