Christy Lattin
CareSource representatives visited the Out of Egypt food bank in Fallon on Aug. 29 as part of a statewide “Rural Roadshow” to share information about upcoming changes to Nevada Medicaid.
Staff from the Nevada Division of Health Care Financing and Policy were also on hand to explain the upcoming changes to Nevada managed care and provide additional information to residents.
During the 82nd legislative session, the Division received approval to fund the expansion of the Medicaid managed care program to all counties in Nevada, which should result in a 10% increase in recipients being served by a managed care program. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the state will expand its Medicaid managed care program beyond Washoe and Clark counties to all 17 counties in the state. The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, recently awarded contracts to CareSource and SilverSummit Healthplan to implement the expansion.
CareSource, the only nonprofit managed care organization operating in Nevada, will serve Medicaid members across the state and offer qualified health plans through Nevada Health Link, the state’s health insurance marketplace.
Under managed care, the state contracts with private insurance companies, called Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), to deliver services to Medicaid members. Instead of paying providers directly for each visit or procedure, Nevada Medicaid will pay MCOs a fixed amount per member. The MCOs then manage networks of doctors and hospitals. State officials say the system is designed to control costs, improve access, and increase accountability for the quality of care provided.
Dr. Tracey Green, chief medical officer for CareSource, said rural residents currently covered by Medicaid will be automatically assigned to either CareSource or SilverSummit based on their zip codes. Beneficiaries will have the opportunity to select their plan, but must do so by Dec. 26, 2025. Notices explaining the changes will be mailed to Medicaid members in October, and officials urge residents to update their mailing address to ensure they receive information on enrollment.
Green said managed care plans will bring several new benefits to rural Nevada. Those include focusing on preventive care by offering incentives for screenings, being held accountable for timely appointment scheduling, recruiting more doctors and providers to rural communities, and offering free extra benefits beyond the standard Medicaid package.
To prepare for the expansion, CareSource plans to hire about 200 employees in Nevada, including rural liaisons to work directly with communities outside the state’s two largest counties. The organization currently has an office in Las Vegas and plans to open another in rural Nevada, though a specific location has not been finalized.
The Rural Roadshow is designed to help residents learn about managed care and what the changes will mean for them. CareSource representatives are stopping in communities across the state to meet with residents, often at local food banks and community centers. Towns on the schedule include Gardnerville, Minden, Yerington, Fallon, Virginia City, Incline Village, Ely, Elko, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Lovelock, Pahrump, Tonopah, Beatty, Caliente, Mesquite, and Las Vegas.
CareSource officials emphasized that while change can be confusing, the shift to managed care is meant to improve health care delivery and ensure that Nevada’s rural residents receive the same services already available in Washoe and Clark counties.
More information is available at dhcfp.nv.gov/Providers/Statewide_Managed_Care/ or by downloading the Nevada Medicaid app at mdp.medicaid.nv.gov.
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