Experts Cast Doubt On State Government Option In Nevada

CARSON CITY, Nev. – As some politicians in Carson City push for the creation of a new state government-controlled health insurance system called the state government option, The Hill reports that experts are casting doubt on the effectiveness of the proposal at boosting coverage rates, while a similar policy in Washington state is failing to achieve its goals.
 
Experts Doubt The State Government Option Will Have “Dramatic Impact” On Coverage Rates:

  • “Some experts believe the public option might not have the sweeping effect its supporters envision. The vast majority of those who remain without health care coverage in Nevada are already eligible for Medicaid or for subsidized health plans under the Affordable Care Act … In testimony before the state Senate this week, several opponents of the bill revisited that theme: If people are not signing up for the plans for which they are already eligible, adding a public option is a solution to the wrong problem.”
  • “’If your goal is to reduce the number of uninsured in the state of Nevada, I am not sure that this bill is going to have a really dramatic impact,’ Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University, who has not been involved in the legislation, told The Nevada Independent.”

The State Government Option Has Failed Where It Has Been Tried Before:

  • “Only one other state, Washington, has implemented a public option plan, after Gov. Jay Inslee (D) signed a version into law in 2019. The first open enrollment period that included the public option began earlier this year. Progress toward reducing the number of uninsured has been low — fewer than 1,900 Washington residents signed up for one of the public option plans, known as Cascade Care, offered by five different private insurers, out of 222,000 people who signed up for new plans this year.”
  • Notably, the “public option plans offered through Washington’s Affordable Care Act exchange cost as much as 29% more than traditional plans,” Bloomberg reports.

 To learn more about Nevada’s Health Care Future, CLICK HERE.