Health Insurance Reno, NV: 2027 Guide for Washoe County

Updated for the 2027 plan year (October 2026). Reviewed by a licensed agent.

What’s new for health insurance Reno shoppers in 2027

Reno is the largest city in northern Nevada and the seat of Washoe County. Like everyone in the state, Reno residents buy individual and family coverage on Nevada Health Link, not HealthCare.gov, and premium tax credits are available only there.

Three things are different this year. Hometown Health, the Reno-based plan previously owned by Renown Health, is becoming Kaiser Permanente Nevada. Battle Born State Plans, Nevada’s state-contracted plans, return for 2027 statewide. And Nevada Medicaid adds work-reporting rules for many adults starting January 1, 2027.

For statewide carriers, dates and programs, see our Nevada health insurance guide.

Kaiser Permanente Nevada and Renown

Kaiser Permanente says it is teaming up with Renown Health to expand care and coverage in northern Nevada, and that Hometown Health will become Kaiser Permanente Nevada. It plans new health plan options for northern Nevada residents, with enrollment this fall for 2027 coverage (Kaiser Permanente).

Kaiser lists medical offices open in Reno and Sparks, with a Fifth Street office in Reno planned for January 2027, and service reaching Washoe, Carson City, Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties plus Nevada’s part of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Renown, Kaiser’s partner in the venture, stays an independent, nonprofit health system. If Renown is your hospital, confirm how it fits each 2027 plan’s network, Kaiser or otherwise, before you enroll.

Reno hospitals and trauma care

Renown Regional Medical Center is, according to Renown, the only adult Level II trauma center in northern Nevada, and Renown Children’s Hospital earned Level II pediatric trauma verification in 2024 (Renown). For serious injuries across a wide region, that’s where care is concentrated.

Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center is Reno’s other major acute-care hospital, and northern Nevada veterans also use the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System. When you compare 2027 plans, check which hospitals and doctor groups each network includes. With Kaiser’s arrival, network lines in Reno may look different than they did last year.

How and when to enroll from Reno

Open Enrollment for 2027 runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027, per the Nevada Division of Insurance. In recent seasons, Nevada Health Link started coverage January 1 for enrollments finished by December 31 and February 1 for January enrollments; check the 2027 rule on the exchange and aim to finish by mid-December. More dates are in our Open Enrollment 2027 guide.

You can enroll at NevadaHealthLink.com, by phone at 1-800-547-2927, or with a certified broker or enrollment professional listed on the exchange’s Find Assistance page. Outside Open Enrollment, you need a qualifying life event such as losing coverage, moving or having a baby.

Battle Born State Plans are sold in Washoe County through Health Plan of Nevada, Anthem’s Community Care Health Plan of Nevada and SilverSummit. They carry the same benefits as other plans, so compare them on network and total cost, not the label.

Community health centers in Reno and Sparks

Two federally qualified health centers anchor low-cost care in the Truckee Meadows:

• Community Health Alliance, a nonprofit FQHC with primary care sites in Reno and Sparks plus mobile medical and dental programs (chanevada.org).
• Northern Nevada HOPES, a downtown Reno FQHC and patient-centered medical home that offers a sliding-fee scale for uninsured patients (nnhopes.org).

Both see patients with or without insurance. They’re a great medical home, and staff can often help with Medicaid or Nevada Health Link applications, but you still need a plan for hospital and specialist care.

Moving to the Reno area

Northern Nevada draws many newcomers, often from California. A permanent move to Nevada is a qualifying life event if you had qualifying coverage at some point in the 60 days before you moved. Your California plan almost certainly won’t follow you, because each state’s exchange sells only to its own residents, so apply on Nevada Health Link within 60 days of the move to avoid a gap.

Northern Nevada Public Health

Reno’s local health department is Northern Nevada Public Health, the new name the Washoe County Health District adopted on August 31, 2023. It serves Reno, Sparks and Washoe County, and its District Board of Health includes representatives from all three (NNPH).

NNPH also reports air quality for the county. On smoky summer days during western wildfire season, people with asthma or COPD should make sure inhalers and other maintenance medications are on their 2027 plan’s drug list before they enroll.

Students, commuters and early retirees in Reno

University of Nevada, Reno students can usually stay on a parent’s plan until 26, use a university student plan, or buy their own. Independent students with low incomes may qualify for Nevada Medicaid or a premium tax credit.

Many Reno residents work across the state line in California or at sites outside the city. Your exchange is set by where you live, so a Reno resident buys through Nevada Health Link even with a California paycheck. Check that the plan’s network reaches any California doctors you plan to keep.

Early retirees are another big group shopping for health insurance, Reno and Sparks included. Until Medicare at 65, a Nevada Health Link plan fills the gap, and your subsidy depends on 2027 income, which counts retirement-account withdrawals and Social Security benefits.

Help paying: subsidies and Medicaid

Washoe County households between about 138% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit that caps the benchmark Silver plan at 2.15% to 10.22% of income for 2027. Above 400% FPL ($63,840 for one person, $132,000 for a family of four) there’s no credit. See our affordable health insurance Nevada guide and 2027 subsidy guide.

Adults below about 138% FPL can generally get Nevada Medicaid, and children may qualify for Nevada Check Up. Apply at Access Nevada. Starting January 1, 2027, many expansion adults must report 80 hours a month of work, school, training or service and renew every six months.

How Honesty helps Reno residents

Honesty.AI is the world’s first patented, licensed AI insurance agent. It compares ACA, alternative and ancillary plans for your Reno ZIP, including Kaiser Permanente and Battle Born options, and checks your doctors and subsidy 24/7 by chat, voice or text. It works for you, not the carriers. Honesty® Insurance Services, LLC (NPN 21094885) is licensed in Nevada. See how Honesty.AI works.

Frequently asked questions

Keep learning: read our Nevada health insurance guide, compare with health insurance in Las Vegas, see the affordable health insurance Nevada hub, and check the 2027 subsidy rules.