Availability of short-term health insurance in Nevada

Yes. As of 2024, at least seven insurers offered short-term health insurance in Nevada.

The average monthly premium for a short-term health insurance plan sold in Nevada was $215.28 in 2022, according to data from IHC Specialty Benefits.

Nevada state regulations (which have been in place since 1997) define short-term health insurance in Nevada as a plan that lasts no more than 185 days.¹

The coverage cannot be renewed, but can be extended if the insured is hospitalized on the day that the policy would have terminated, with the extended policy period covering the remainder of the patient’s hospital stay.

The Nevada Division of Insurance maintains a web page with FAQs about short-term plans, and cautions consumers to fully understand the coverage options available to them.

After the finalization of the 2018 federal rule that extended the allowable duration of short-term plans, the Nevada health insurance exchange published a resource with details about how short-term coverage compares to ACA-compliant plans, and a reminder that state law limits short-term health insurance in Nevada to 185 days, regardless of changes at the federal level.

State rules for short-term plan durations can be stricter, but not more lenient, than the federal rules. So for plans sold or issued starting in September 2024, the new federal rules will be in place in Nevada, since they’re stricter than the state’s rules.

Short-term health insurance in Nevada can be purchased by residents who can meet the underwriting guidelines of insurers.

In general, people can qualify for short-term health plans if they’re under 65 years old (some insurers will only issue plans to people who are under 64 years of age) and do not have a medical condition that will result in a declined application.² But the specific requirements vary from one insurance company to another.

Short-term health insurance plans usually come with blanket exclusions for pre-existing conditions. And it’s common for them to use post-claims underwriting, which means they can look through a person’s medical records after a claim is filed, to make sure it isn’t related to a pre-existing medical condition.³

Short-term health plans also generally exclude coverage for some of the ACA’s essential health benefits (most commonly, maternity care, prescription drugs, and mental health care),² and impose dollar limits on the coverage they do provide.

So it’s important to double-check all of the plan information before purchasing a short-term policy, to make sure that you understand the limitations of the plan.

If you need health insurance in Nevada outside of the annual open enrollment period (November 1 to January 15), your first step should be to see whether you’re eligible for a special enrollment period that would allow you to enroll in an ACA-compliant individual major medical plan.

A variety of qualifying life events will trigger a special enrollment period and allow you to purchase a plan through the health insurance exchange/marketplace in Nevada (Nevada Health Link). These plans are sold on a month-to-month basis, so you can enroll in a plan even if you only need coverage for a couple of months before another policy kicks in.

And if your household income makes you eligible for financial assistance, you might qualify for a premium subsidy and possibly cost-sharing reductions as well. Premium subsidies make your monthly premiums more affordable — even if you only need coverage for a short while — and cost-sharing reductions reduce your out-of-pocket medical expenses if and when you need healthcare services. (Note that there are no subsidies available for short-term health insurance; you must enroll through Nevada Health Link to get subsidies.)

It’s also important to understand that Medicaid can serve as temporary coverage for people who have lost some or all of their income. Nevada expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and eligibility is based on monthly income (as opposed to premium subsidies in the marketplace, which are based on annual income).

Learn more about Medicaid in Nevada.

There are times in the Sagebrush State when short-term health insurance could be the only realistic option, such as:

• If you missed open enrollment for ACA-compliant coverage and do not have a qualifying event that would trigger a special enrollment period.
• If you’ll be enrolled in Medicare shortly, are uninsured, and don’t have access to other coverage in the meantime. Be aware that although Medicare covers pre-existing conditions regardless of your medical and coverage history, Medigap insurers can impose a pre-existing condition waiting period if you didn’t have coverage for your pre-existing conditions before enrolling in Medicare (short-term health insurance will generally not be considered creditable prior coverage, as it typically excludes pre-existing conditions).
• If you’ve become employed recently but have a waiting period before your employer’s health benefits take effect.
• If you’re losing other coverage in the middle of the month, and have to wait until the first of the next month for a new marketplace plan to take effect (note that COBRA might be an alternative fall-back option in this case as well)
• If you’re not eligible for Medicaid or a premium subsidy in the exchange, the monthly premiums for an ACA-compliant plan might simply be too costly.