Nevada exchange processes about 2,000 applications

Hager said there's been confusion about health exchanges. He stressed that Nevada's exchange is not associated with the insurance exchange run by the federal government that has come under increased scrutiny for technical glitches, security concerns and other problems.

"Our data is secure," he said.

According to the Nevada Division of Insurance, 24,623 people with existing policies have received cancellation or non-renewal notices from their insurer because the policies don't meet the new law's requirements. An estimated 80,000 to 90,000 policies in Nevada are sold on the private insurance market.

Hager said he anticipates some of those who have had their policies canceled will seek new coverage through the exchange.

Hager said the website's Spanish-language portal will be available next week, and other problems that slowed the system in the early days are being worked out and are "not much of a factor" anymore.

"There have been errors. We have been improving every day," he said.

Mike Willden, director of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, said he expects a surge in Nevada Medicaid recipients by year's end. Under PPACA and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld it, states were given the option to expand Medicaid eligibility. Nevada for the first time will allow low-income single adults without dependent children to qualify.

At the July 1 start of the fiscal year, Nevada had 320,000 Medicaid recipients, Willden said. That number has since grown to 334,000, and Willden said caseloads will continue to increase when the new eligibility standards kick in Jan. 1.

See also:

• California exchange reports nearly 100K application starts
• Nevada exchange posts schedule chart
• Nevada to pay for exchange contractor change orders