Governor Lombardo Announces Official Launch the Nevada Health Authority

Las Vegas, NV - Governor Joe Lombardo and the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services are pleased to announce the launch of the Nevada Health Authority (NVHA) effective today July 1, 2025. The NVHA was created through Senate Bill 494, one of Governor Lombardo’s key health care bills. Through the creation of the new authority, Nevada state government will further streamline its management of state health care and human services programs.

“I outlined our vision for the Nevada Health Authority in my State of the State Address, and I’m pleased to see it come to fruition today through bipartisan support,” said Governor Lombardo. “This new authority will help Nevada capitalize on its strong purchasing power when it comes to health insurance and get a better deal for taxpayers, all while offering better insurance options for eligible Nevadans. The creation of the Nevada Health Authority is a critical step forward in our efforts to expand health care access across our state.”

The new authority will be led by Stacie Weeks, the administrator of Nevada Medicaid, with Richard Whitley, the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services, remaining as Director of the newly reorganized Department of Human Services. The new Nevada Health Authority will house several key health care programs, including Medicaid, the state’s health insurance exchange, and public employees’ benefits program.

“The goals of this effort and the new Nevada Health Authority have been resoundingly clear since the beginning: unify similarly aligned agencies to gain more efficiencies in state government, increase the state’s purchasing power for health care, lower the costs of health care for Nevadans, bring more health care providers to the state, improve health care quality, and streamline eligibility for programs for Nevadans,” said Stacie Weeks, incoming Director of the Nevada Health Authority. “I’m delighted to begin leading the authority and begin its important work in expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare.”