Medicare Plans in Nevada

What Nevada Medicare Plans Are Available? 

If you live in Nevada, you will be able to sign up for Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D. You can also enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan. Your costs will vary depending on the plan that you choose, so make sure that you understand what benefits you are receiving and your financial responsibility in regard to your care. 

• Medicare Part A: This plan will reimburse you for the cost of inpatient care, such as emergency room visits, hospital stays, home health care, the cost of a nursing center or hospice care. It is considered part of the Original Medicare. 
  
  
• Medicare Part B: This plan covers the cost of your doctor’s appointments, blood work, diagnostic scans and other preventative care. Your medical supplies and any prescribed machines or devices are covered under Part B as well. It will also provide assistance for medical transportation services. 
  
  
• Medicare Advantage: Congress passed into law the option for residents to choose a private insurer rather than the government to administer their health care plans. Advantage plans are required to offer the same coverage as Original Medicare, but you may have more autonomy to choose your own doctors and enroll in coverage for services not covered under Part A or B. 
  
  
• Medicare Part D: Your prescription drugs can be covered under Medicare Part D, and while some Medicare Advantage plans offer drug coverage, not all of them do. For this reason, you can still enroll in Medicare Part D even if you selected an Advantage plan. 
  
  
• Medicare Supplement Plans: There will be out-of-pocket expenses you will be responsible for even though you have coverage and a Medicare Supplement plan is meant to cover those expenses for you. Under traditional Medicare, for example, you must meet a deductible and then meet a 20% copay for your medical care. A Medicare Supplement plan reimburses you for those copays and other expenses. 

Original Medicare is more popular than Medicare Advantage in Nevada, but a significant number of people do choose Advantage plans. In 2024, nearly 578,000 people chose Original Medicare, and 49% of those beneficiaries selected an Advantage plan. Before choosing your own plan, consider what you truly need and what you can afford. If you feel you will need assistance meeting your copays, do some research into Medicare Supplement plans. 

Who Is Eligible for Nevada Medicare? 

No one is unable to receive Medicare beyond the age of 65, but some people will need to pay more for coverage than others. If you have been collecting your retirement benefits for four months before turning 65, you will be accepted and enrolled automatically. If you have not yet started to receive your benefits or failed to contribute to Social Security for at least 10 years, you will need to enroll yourself and might pay higher premiums. 

Medicare Part A is a part of Social Security, and you will receive it for free as long as you met your contribution requirements. Medicare Part B is around $174.90 a month, and the payment is automatically removed from your retirement checks so that you don’t have to worry about how to pay for it.  

Medicare Advantage plans are run by private insurers, so the type of coverage you will receive depends on what your insurer offers. You could enroll for additional coverage, which will increase your premium but provide reimbursement for things such as prescription medications, dental procedures and vision care. Part or most of your Medicare Advantage premium may be covered by your Social Security benefits set aside for traditional Medicare. 

Medicare Part D is not free. You will need to decide the level of coverage you seek and choose whether you want to include name-brand medications among the list of covered drugs. As with traditional insurance, the more coverage you receive, the higher your premium will be. 

You will need to sign up for Medicare during your initial enrollment period if you want to avoid penalties that could increase your premiums for the rest of your life. This period begins 90 days before your 65th birthday and lasts until 90 days afterward. During this time you can check the status of your enrollment, choose a different plan and make changes to your coverage options. If you miss this period and want to avoid penalties, you can if you meet certain criteria. 

Those who have served overseas, taken care of someone with disabilities or stayed on an employer’s health insurance can wait until a special enrollment period to opt into Medicare without the penalty. Otherwise, you will need to enroll during general enrollment, which begins at the start of each year and ends at the end of March.  

If you want to join a Medicare Supplement plan, it is best to do so within six months of turning 65 years old. As long as you sign up for one of these plans within this timeframe, you cannot be denied coverage and your rates cannot be adjusted based on your preexisting conditions, age or other medical factors. Once six months have passed, insurers are no longer bound by these rules. 

How Do I Enroll for Medicare in Nevada? 

Enrolling for Medicare is very easy. Visit Medicare.gov where you can check your status and follow the directions to choose and enroll in a plan online. Since Medicare does not have a relationship with the insurers that provide Medicare Supplement plans, you will need to shop for those on your own.