By Lily Bohlke, Public News Service (NV)

Nevadans can find out if they’re eligible for subsidies to help pay for premiums at Nevada Health Link, the online marketplace for the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange. (rukxstockphoto/Adobe Stock)

CARSON CITY, Nevada (YN) – Nevadans shopping for heal! th care coverage for 2021 still have time to enroll in a plan under the Affordable Care Act – the deadline is January 15.

The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange – which operates through its online marketplace, Nevada Health Link – opted to give residents more time to decide on a plan this year. The deadline used to be December 15, according to the agency’s Communications Officer Janel Davis.

She said while health insurance has always been a top-of-mind priority for many Nevadans, the pandemic has brought the importance of coverage even more to the forefront. She said she hopes the extended enrollment period will help folks who lost their jobs in 2020 stay covered.

“It’s during the holidays and, you know, insurance is a hard sell,” said Davis. “It’s definitely not a sexy topic but it’s also so important and especially living in this pandemic, now is certainly not the time to go without insurance.”

Since March, when the pandemic hit, special enrollment periods have been made available to folks who unexpectedly lost their jobs and employer-sponsored coverage.

More than 75,000 people in the Silver State already have enrolled, and all plans cover pre-existing conditions as well as COVID-19-related diagnosis and treatment.

Davis said the marketplace is the only way for residents to access subsidies and tax credits from the federal government if they don’t qualify for Medicaid or Medicare.

“Four out of five, which is over 80% of our enrollees, are accessing those subsidies,” said Davis. “And that’s financial assistance to help you pay your monthly premium costs.”

Nevada Health Link has a call center open seven days a week until midnight on January 15. Davis said as long as Nevadans start the application by then, they have until January 20 to fully enroll in a plan.