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Nevada’s health insurance exchange nears 80,000 enrollees

With four days left in the sign-up period, Nevada's health insurance exchange is closing in on 80,000 customers.

Nevada Health Link had enrolled 79,055 people by Saturday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday.

The sign-ups include automatic renewals from 2015, though the federal government didn't break down numbers by existing versus new enrollments.

With three days left until the Jan. 31 enrollment deadline, Nevada Health Link has already bested the 72,000 sign-ups it had a year ago.

Nevadans who don't have health insurance by Jan. 31 face a federal tax of 2.5 percent of household income, or $695 per adult and $347.50 per child up to a household maximum of $2,085 — whichever is higher.

Consumers don't have to buy a plan through Nevada Health Link, but purchasing through the marketplace is the only way to qualify for a federal tax credit to help cover the cost of premiums.

You may qualify for a tax credit if you're a single person making roughly $47,000 a year or less, or a household of four bringing in about $96,000 or less. Nevadans who don't meet income requirements for a premium subsidy can buy coverage on the individual market or through their employer, if it's available.

Contact Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @_JRobison 

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