Centene to sell Obamacare plans in Nevada next year

[August 16, 2017] (Reuters) - Centene Corp, one of the largest players in the Obamacare individual insurance market, said it would offer Obamacare plans in Nevada in 2018.

Nevada was left without insurance coverage after U.S. health insurer Anthem Inc said last week it would pare back its Obamacare offerings in the state exchange next year.

Centene said its SilverSummit Healthplan would cover all 17 counties of Nevada, including the "bare counties" that were expected not to have coverage by any other health insurers in 2018.

Health insurers are facing an upheaval in their businesses amid growing uncertainty over the healthcare legislation under President Donald Trump, who seek to follow through on his promise to dismantle former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act.

Centene is among the few large-cap health insurers that have not exited the individual insurance market despite Republican lawmakers' persistent efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare.

In June, the company said it would enter into three new states and would expand operations in six existing markets in 2018.

Insurers such as UnitedHealth Group Inc, Aetna Inc and Humana Inc have exited most of the states where they sold Obamacare plans, leaving hundreds of U.S. counties at risk of losing access to private health coverage in 2018.

Centene's latest move was first reported by the Nevada Independent on Tuesday. (http://bit.ly/2w76jKR)

(Reporting by Divya Grover in Bengaluru and Michael Erman in New York; Editing by Maju Samuel)

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