Thousands of Nevada residents go without health insurance coverage

Low number of insured Nevadans may be to blame for packed emergency rooms. Many residents resort to hospitals for medical treatment. But experts say living with health insurance is a huge risk, and families are finding out the hard way.



Many residents find it difficult to afford health insurance for them and their families, and when accidents happen, the medical bills add up with no way to pay them. There are over 130,000 people in Reno that don't have health insurance, and nearly one third of people in Northern Nevada do not have coverage.



There are other reasons beside finances that cause Northern Nevadans to not pay for health insurance. Bob Fahlman of ehealthinsurance.com says younger adults don't feel they need it, and others between jobs think they can go without health insurance for a short period of time. But he also says to never go without insurance.



Employer health plans are not always the best deal for your family. Sometimes going through online services for your family members can save you money. You can also opt out of prescription coverage or only get coverage for catastrophic cases.



The cost for a family of four in Reno can be as low as $175 a month, and for only a man age 36, only $54 a month.



A good place to look and compare insurances is ehealthinsurance.com. That's where many health insurance companies go to market themselves.