FACT BRIEF

Do Nevada casinos have employees on Medicaid?

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

By Todd Butterworth

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YES

Ninety-one Nevada employers have at least 500 people (employees plus their dependents) who receive Medicaid benefits. As suggested in testimony to the Nevada Assembly Committee on Government Affairs, of those 91 employers, 29 (about one-third) are large casino operators. The Medicaid benefits paid to the families of these casino employees cost nearly $106 million in 2022.

Medicaid is a federal-state program that provides medical benefits to people with lower incomes. In Nevada, households with annual incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level may qualify for Medicaid. This is $16,753 per year for an individual or $34,638 for a family of four.

Amazon and Walmart are Nevada’s largest employers and they top the list with the most Medicaid recipients —more than 24,000 between them, costing over $87 million last year. Among government employers, the Clark County School District and the State of Nevada are in the top 10.

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Sources

Google Docs NV Medicaid data - employers with 500 or more recipients, 2022

Nevada Health Link NV Medicaid eligibility information

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The Nevada Independent

The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.

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