The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange (Exchange) which operates Nevada’s online health insurance marketplace, NevadaHealthLink.com, has announced Russell Cook as the new executive director. Cook assumed the role on July 31.
Cook was voted in by the Exchange’s Board of Directors in a unanimous vote on July 31. The board is currently made up of seven voting members (five of whom are appointed by the Governor, one appointed by the Senate Majority Leader, and one appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly) and three ex officio non-voting members or their designee.
“The Silver State Health Insurance Exchange’s Board of Directors is excited to announce Russell Cook as the new Executive Director of the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange,” said Board Chair Dr. Florence Jameson. “With his years of experience working with the Exchange as Information Systems Manager, we are confident Russell will lead the Exchange with the passion and drive necessary to reach underserved and uninsured Nevadans across the Silver State.”
Cook has been part of the Exchange since 2016 as Information Systems Manager and has dedicated the last seven years to ensuring the success of Nevada’s state-based exchange platform, NevadaHealthLink.com. He played an integral role transitioning the Exchange’s operations from HealthCare.gov to NevadaHealthLink.com in 2019, and since then he’s worked steadily to improve the user experience for the Exchange’s consumers and enrollment partners. In recent months Cook has worked in collaboration with Nevada’s Tribal Health Clinics to develop a solution for the aggregated payment of monthly premiums for tribal members.
“After seven years with the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange as Information Systems Manager, I am honored to have been selected by the Board of Directors to entrust me to lead the state’s health insurance marketplace, Nevada Health Link,” said Cook. “In this role, I will further my commitment to reducing the uninsured rate in the Silver State by helping more Nevadans enroll in affordable, high-quality health insurance.”
Prior to working at the Exchange, Cook was a Business Process Analyst at EITS Project Management Group where he managed long-term enterprise-level IT projects within the Nevada Departments of Administration and Public Safety. Cook is a Northern Nevada native and attended Carson High School in Carson City and received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
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ABOUT NEVADA HEALTH LINK
NevadaHealthLink.com is Nevada’s online health insurance marketplace for qualified and affordable health plans. NevadaHealthLink.com is operated by the state agency, the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange, and is the only place where qualifying consumers can receive federal tax credits to help lower the costs of monthly premiums. The state-based marketplace offers over 160 different plan options across seven health insurance carriers. Nevada Health Link also partners with multiple dental carriers and offers vision plans through VSP. Nevada Health Link is ideal for those who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid and do not have employer-sponsored health insurance. Open Enrollment Period runs from November 1 through January 15. Outside of the Open Enrollment Period, Nevadans who have experienced a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) such as loss of insurance (including Medicaid determinations), getting married or divorced, moving or having a baby, can qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. For Nevadans who are not renewed for Medicaid benefits during the redetermination process, qualifying accounts will automatically be transferred to Nevada Health Link. For more information, visit NevadaHealthLink.com; subscribe to Nevada Health Link’s YouTube channel; like us on Facebook or follow on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Nevada Health Link encourages consumers to use the free assistance of a licensed enrollment professional by calling 1-800-547-2927 or by visiting NevadaHealthLink.com.