No open-record exemptions for Nevada health exchange

Nevada’s health insurance exchange program, unlike California’s, is not exempt from the state’s open records laws.

The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange was authorized by the 2011 Legislature and is considered a state agency.

Under President Barack Obama’s health care law, states were given the choice to establish their own insurance exchanges or default to the federal government.

California has granted sweeping privacy exemptions to the agency running its insurance marketplace. That agency can conceal spending on contractors who will perform most of its functions.

Nevada’s exchange is scheduled to begin taking enrollments Oct. 1 for policies effective Jan. 1.

A $72 million contract with Xerox State Healthcare to set up a computer system and operations was approved by a state board in an open meeting last summer.

That contract is posted on the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange’s website — http://exchange.nv.gov.