Health Insurance Reform Means a Better Future for Nevada

With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act signed into law by President Obama, more than a half million Nevadans are now a step closer to quality, affordable health care. Tens of thousands of Nevada small businesses are a step closer to getting critical relief to support health care for their employees.  More than 200,000 Nevada seniors are a step closer to a stronger Medicare program that puts money back in their pockets instead of padding insurer profits.  This story can be told all over America, and it represents the real impact of health reform. 

This historic legislation will help families that can’t afford insurance, individuals facing discrimination for pre-existing conditions and small businesses that have been unable to offer health benefits to their employees. It will provide consumers with more protection and more choice, and ensure that medical decisions are made by patients and doctors, not insurance companies.  In addition, this legislation will also reduce the federal deficit by $143 billion in the first ten years it is law.

Scroll down to view some highlights of the benefits health insurance reform for Nevadans. 

For more detailed information on health insurance reform please click here.

Senator Reid watches as President Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law on March 22, 2010.

The following are highlights of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act when combined with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act.  For more detailed information on the benefits of health insurance reform please click here.

A Stronger Health Care System for Nevada:

• 518,000 residents who are uninsured and 132,000 residents who have individual market insurance will gain access to affordable coverage.
• 311,000 residents will qualify for premium tax credits to help them purchase health coverage.
• 328,000 seniors will receive free preventive services and 58,200 seniors will have their drug costs in the Medicare Part D “donut hole” covered over time.
• 30,300 small businesses will be eligible for tax credits for premiums.
• 9,400 young adults will be eligible for quality affordable coverage through their parents

Premium Tax Credits to Expand Private Insurance Coverage in Nevada:

• Reform will provide $5 billion in premium tax credits and cost-sharing tax credits for residents in Nevada from 2014 to 2019 to purchase private health insurance. This is $180 million greater than under the Senate-passed bill.

Reduced Premiums:

• Health insurance reform will lower premiums in the nongroup market by 14 to 20% for the same benefits – premium savings of $1,380 to $1,970 for a family in Nevada.

Increased Medicaid Support:

• The Federal government will fully fund the coverage expansion for the first three years of the policy, and continue substantial support, paying for 90% of costs after 2020, compared to Nevada’s current FMAP of 50.2%.
• In total, Nevada could receive $3.6 billion more dollars in federal funds for Medicaid as a result of the expansion from 2014 to 2019, $240 million more than under the Senate-passed bill.

Improved Value for Medicare Advantage:

• The 228,000 seniors in Nevada who are not enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan will no longer cross subsidize these private plans, saving $45 in premium costs per year. 
• The proposal will gradually move toward a fair payment system that rewards performance.

Quality, Affordable Health Care for All Nevadans

Access to Health Care
Everyone agrees that when it comes to health care, we have a crisis in the United States. Before passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the number of uninsured Americans had ballooned to nearly 47 million, including 400,000 in Nevada, including over 100,000 uninsured children.

As the Senate Majority Leader, I am proud that we are taking our nation's health care system in a new direction. Over the next few years as the provisions in the historic health insurance reform bill are implemented, I will continue to work with our President, bipartisan members of the Senate and House, our state, and key stakeholders and experts from across Nevada to ensure that all Nevadans have access to quality, affordable health care.
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Medical Research
Our nation's major commitment to health research will likely bring stunning new treatments for cancer, deadly diseases, chronic conditions, and other ailments. I am committed to making the investments necessary to accelerate the pace of current progress and to spur on new discoveries.
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Health Care Quality
Quality health care should be in the reach of every American, not just the select few. From modernizing the health information technology infrastructure to eliminating disparities in care, there is a number of goals that have been achieved and more work remaining to be done.
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Public Health and Health Care Workforce
The health and well-being of the nation, in times of calm as well as emergencies, depend on a strong health care infrastructure and workforce. Given the rapidly growing population in Nevada, we feel some problems, such as shortages of primary care providers, more acutely. The popularity of Nevada to visitors from across the world also makes our home state more vulnerable to the serious threat of pandemic flu.
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