FACT BRIEF
Are 1 in 4 Nevadans on Medicaid?
Yes.

Medicaid, a joint federal and state program that helps cover medical costs for people on low incomes and those with disabilities, serves approximately 1 in 4 Nevadans — 800,000 people in a state with more than 3 million people.
Nevada’s Medicaid population has grown following the expansion of Medicaid in 2014. The state’s uninsured rate dropped from 22 percent in 2012 to 12 percent in 2015, and it saw the rate of uninsured children drop from 14.9 percent in 2013 to 7.6 percent in 2015.
The state’s uninsured rate is currently between 10 percent to 12 percent as of 2026.
Experts warn that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could drive up the state’s uninsured rate not only by reducing the number of people covered by Medicaid through work requirements, but by adding restrictions to the state-run marketplace where the federal government heavily subsidizes premiums based on income.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Nevada Independent partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Sources
- Department of Health and Human Services Nevada’s Medicaid Enrollees, December 2024
- The Nevada Independent IndyFest: Insured rates up, but Nevada Medicaid still struggles decade after expansion
- The Nevada Independent A brief history of Medicaid in Nevada and the people who depend on it
- Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Center for Children and Families Sharpest Decline in Child Uninsured Rate on Record but Most Think Rate Increasing or Staying Same
- The Nevada Independent GOP bill biggest health care shake-up since Obamacare. Here’s what it means in Nevada.
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