A major shift in how Medicaid is delivered in Nevada is beginning to take shape in rural communities, and last week’s Fernley Chamber of Commerce Ambassador’s Breakfast offered a closer look at both the promise and the growing pains.
Representatives from CareSource, Bren Oscarson-McClean and Deb Whittaker, explained their program. One of the state’s new managed care organizations, Oscarson-McClean and Whittaker outlined expanded benefits, community investment commitments, and a new approach to rural healthcare delivery for local business and community leaders.
CareSource, a nonprofit insurer founded in 1989, is new to Nevada but serves more than two million members nationwide. Company representatives emphasized a community-based model, with staff living in the regions they serve and working directly with residents to navigate care.
“We’re not just billing insurance,” Whittaker said. “We’re trying to fill the gaps that people face in their everyday lives.”
That approach includes a range of “value-added” services beyond traditional medical coverage, such as transportation to appointments, workforce assistance, housing and food support, and home visitation programs for mothers and infants.
One of the more notable commitments: CareSource pledged to reinvest 10 percent of its profits into Nevada communities—well above the state’s required 2 percent—along with a minimum of $500,000 directed specifically toward rural areas.
The company is also partnering with organizations like the Boys & Girls Club to help cover program access for eligible families and is offering expanded transportation options, including mileage reimbursement for family members or community drivers, an effort aimed at addressing one of rural Nevada’s biggest barriers to care.
But alongside those opportunities, local attendees raised concerns about the rollout.
Healthcare providers and community members described confusion over which doctors are currently accepting CareSource patients, with some reporting gaps in specialty care, including dermatology.
“There were hiccups,” one attendee said, noting that some patients were transitioned into the new system before provider networks were fully established.
CareSource representatives acknowledged the challenges, pointing to ongoing contracting efforts with providers and encouraging community members to report gaps so they can be addressed.
In some cases, the company said it can arrange “single case agreements” to allow patients to continue seeing needed specialists while contracts are finalized.
The shift comes as Nevada moves from a traditional fee-for-service Medicaid model to a managed care system, a change intended to improve coordination of care and address long-standing disparities, particularly in rural areas such as Fernley, where access to specialists, transportation, and support services has historically been limited.
Whittaker said the long-term goal is to build stronger local systems by working directly with community organizations, healthcare providers, and residents.
“This is a step in the right direction,” she said. “We’ve been asking for something like this in rural Nevada for a long time.”
For now, both providers and patients are adjusting to the new system, working to balance expanded benefits with the realities of implementation. For more information, visit the CareSource website at caresource.com/nevada/ or contact [email protected] for Lyon County. For Humboldt, Lander, and Pershing counties, the contact is [email protected].
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