Nevada Health Insurance

The state of Nevada is famous for its relatively permissive approach to legislation, and this is particularly true of its laws governing the health insurance companies within its borders.  Because of this, knowing about the few restrictions and guarantees that do exist can be crucial to getting good health coverage in Nevada.  The list below outlines the basics of what Nevada’s health insurers are required to offer and what they are allowed to refuse, and reading it should get you moving in the right direction.

• Insurers in Nevada are required by law to include a provision in each health insurance policy they sell that guarantees your right to renew your coverage however many times you choose.  This means that, as long as you’ve kept up with your premium payments and included no falsehoods on your policy application, your insurer cannot prevent you from renewing your coverage every time it is due to expire.  It is also illegal for health insurers to cancel your coverage simply because your health takes a turn for the worse.
• Pre-existing conditions are hardly addressed by Nevada’s regulatory guidelines, so insurers here are free to set up new health plans in such a way that any health problem you have had in the past will be exempt from coverage for any length of time— in some cases, even permanently.  Bear this in mind when reading over any coverage offers you get from Nevada-based insurance companies.
• The cost of health insurance is similarly unrestricted in Nevada: insurers are permitted to determine the price you pay for coverage based on metrics like health status, age, location, and so on.  If you are applying for a new insurance policy, your application may also be declined on these grounds.  Therefore, you would be well-advised to seek health coverage at an early age, before any major health problems crop up.
• State law in Nevada is a little more kind to small businesses than to individuals, guaranteeing any business with between 2 and 50 employees the ability to purchase group health coverage comparable to what other small companies in this state enjoy.  This does not mean that every business will pay the same price, however, and differences in age, health, and family history among the employees can result in one company paying considerably more than another.
• A small business that intends to keep group health coverage may be required to meet certain benchmarks, such as maintaining at least a certain level of participation in the company plan among its.  The employer may also have to contribute a certain amount to each employee’s premiums.  The entire company’s coverage can potentially be cancelled if these requirements are not met, but considerations like illness among those insured can never be used as a pretext for terminating a small business’s health plan.
• Self-employed persons working in Nevada do not normally have access to group coverage offered to small businesses, assuming that they do not have any employees other than themselves.  On the other hand, it may be possible to get a tax-deduction for a portion of the premiums paid for individual insurance through shrewd itemization.

Once you’re aware of what to look for, the process of shopping for health insurance (and comparing competing offers) becomes much easier and faster than one might expect.  In a state like Nevada, where regulation of health insurance companies is lax at best, you should take special care to read over policy details and riders before signing on.  As long as you’re willing to double-check your facts, however, you will be much more likely to find the kind of coverage you’re looking for at an excellent price.

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