Leave it to Nevada health exchange to make things more confusing

"How do spouses and dependents get subsidized?


If you offer affordable, minimum essential coverage to your employees, and you do offer coverage to spouses and dependents, regardless if you contribute to their premiums, those spouses and dependents cannot qualify for a tax subsidy by enrolling in coverage on the individual marketplace.

If you offer affordable, minimum essential coverage to your employees, and you don’t offer coverage to spouses and/or dependents, those spouses and/or dependents may be able to go on the individual marketplace at Nevada Health Link and receive a subsidy.

I am covered by my employer, but my children are not. How can I get my children health insurance?




The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that all health insurance issuers offering qualified health plans through an Exchange must offer a child-only plan at the same level of coverage. That plan is for individuals who have not turned 21 years old by the beginning of the plan year.

All Qualified Health Plans offered on Nevada Health Link will cover pediatric dental and vision services. This is a new provision starting in 2014.

All a parent needs to do is go to NevadaHealthLink.com and select the individual option. The parent will then create an account and answer all questions on the online application. If the household income is at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), the child may qualify for federal subsidies or state financial assistance programs. Once a parent chooses the right plan for the child, that child is covered through the plan year and may start using benefits based on the time of enrollment. "




I copied and pasted these from the Nevada Health Link pages. Yes, these are official documents. As a health broker, this is so confusing. Written in the law is the mandate that if an employer offers health insurance they MUST include coverage for dependents. They do have the right to exclude spouses, but dependents are a must. The website then claims that even though dependent coverage is offered through work, you can go and purchase insurance through the exchange for just the child. This is so confusing and bad information. I think they need to make up their minds.