LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Nevada is deemed one of the worst states in the country when it comes to notifying certain Medicaid patients they are no longer on the program.
Mail has gone out, but it’s estimated 70,000 Nevadans still haven’t gotten the message or responded to it. With the help of Nevada’s health insurance exchange, Nevada Health Link, they hope that will all change.
Katie Charleson from Nevada Health Link said, “So now we are able to text people who have been transferred over to us from Medicaid and let them know that, ‘Hey, you no longer qualify for Medicaid, you lost your coverage, you can come over to Nevada Health Link to stay insured.’”
Those texts will be going out to thousands of Nevadans beginning Monday. Simply put, it will let them know that their Medicaid coverage is gone, and to go to the Health Link website to check out health insurance coverage they do qualify for.
This special enrollment, which goes until November, is for former Medicaid patients who may not know they no longer have coverage or who have made no inquiries concerning their status.
Charleson says by going to the Nevada Health Link page, and even talking to someone at the call center, they can be directed to policies that are right for them, or be transferred back to Medicaid if they qualify.
Charleson continued, saying, “90% currently qualify for subsidies. There are extended subsidies going through next year. So it is a lot more affordable than it has been in the past. A lot of people have zero dollar premiums, over half of our enrollees are under $100 a month for the entire household.”
Charleson admits under a qualified insurance program under Health Link, there may be co-pays during a medical visit. That’s different from Medicaid. But she says the amount will be substantially lower than if you have no insurance at all and face medical bills.
Because fraud in this area is not uncommon, Charleson says to remember that Health Link will not call you unless you call them first. They will not ask for personal information initially.
It’s best to go to their website if you get a text about your Medicaid and follow the instructions from there.
To update your address with Nevada Medicaid and the Division of Welfare and Supportive Services click here.
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