By John Reichard, CQ HealthBeat Editor
May 20, 2014 -- In a move similar to one made by Massachusetts, the board of the Nevada health insurance exchange has voted to take steps to drop its contractor, Xerox, and direct residents to the federal website healthcare.gov this fall for 2015 coverage.
The Nevada Health Link exchange would not disappear but would switch to a new, as-yet-undetermined contractor in time for 2016, a spokesman said.
But like repair efforts in Massachusetts and Maryland, task in Nevada will rely on on obtaining additional federal funding, which a number of House and Senate Republicans strongly oppose.
Sign-ups for 2014 have been held to about 36,000 compared to an enrollment target of 118,000, the spokesman said.
CMS spokeswoman Alicia Hartinger said her agency "is committed to working closely with states to support their efforts in implementing a marketplace that works best for their consumers. We are working with Nevada to ensure that all Nevadans have access to quality, affordable, health coverage in 2015."