Levels of plans offered by Nevada Health Link, categories (often called "metal tiers") are based on how you and your insurance plan split costs, not with quality of care.
For each plan category, you’ll pay a different percentage of total yearly costs of your care, and your insurance company will pay the rest. The lower the metal tier, the lower your monthly premium, but the more out-of-pocket costs you'll need to pay when you use medical services.
Factor in total annual costs - not just premiums - when deciding on which plan is right for you and your family. Total costs include premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs like co-payments and co-insurance.
Example:
| Plan Category | The insurance company pays | You pay (co-insurance) |
|---|---|---|
|
Platinum |
90% |
10% |
|
Gold |
80% |
20% |
|
Silver |
70% |
30% |
|
Bronze |
60% |
40% |
Which metal category is right for you?
Bronze
- Lowest monthly premium
- Highest costs when you need care
- Bronze plan deductibles — the amount of medical costs you pay yourself before your insurance plan starts to pay — can be thousands of dollars a year.
- Good choice if: You want a low-cost way to protect yourself from worst-case medical scenarios, like serious sickness or injury. Your monthly premium will be low, but you’ll have to pay for most routine care yourself.
Silver
- Moderate monthly premium
- Moderate costs when you need care
- Silver deductibles — the costs you pay yourself before your plan pays anything — are usually lower than those of Bronze plans.
IMPORTANT: If you qualify for cost sharing reductions you must pick a Silver plan to get the extra savings. You can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year if you use a lot of care.
- Good choice if: You qualify for “extra savings” — or, if not, if you’re willing to pay a slightly higher monthly premium than Bronze to have more of your routine care covered.
Gold
- High monthly premium
- Low costs when you need care
- Deductibles — the amount of medical costs you pay yourself before your plan pays — are usually low.
- Good choice if: You’re willing to pay more each month to have more costs covered when you get medical treatment. If you use a lot of care, a Gold plan could be a good value.
Platinum
- Highest monthly premium
- Lowest costs when you get care
- Deductibles are very low, meaning your plan starts paying its share earlier than for other categories of plans.
- Good choice if: You usually use a lot of care and are willing to pay a high monthly premium, knowing nearly all other costs will be covered.
Catastrophic
Catastrophic health insurance plans have low monthly premiums and very high deductibles. They may be an affordable way to protect yourself from worst-case scenarios, like getting seriously sick or injured. But you pay most routine medical expenses yourself.
Only the following people are eligible for catastrophic plans:
- People under 30
- People of any age with a hardship exemption or affordability exemption (based on Nevada Health Link or job-based insurance being unaffordable)
To read more, go to the FAQ: Who can buy a catastrophic plan.