The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services is asking the federal government to pause the state’s application to establish a public health insurance option and reinsurance program, though officials say it’s not an attempt to abandon the endeavor.
State officials said the pause, requested in a March 20 letter, allows the department to update the application in response to feedback provided during the federal public comment period.
“It is framed as a pause in order to not take away from the 180-day timeframe in which the federal government has to issue a final decision,” state officials wrote in an email to The Nevada Independent.
State officials said they will post updated documents online once the feedback is incorporated and finalized.
The “public option” refers to a requirement established in 2021 that more insurers offer a discounted health insurance plan for Nevadans, though its creation requires a federal Medicaid waiver.