Nevada Preferred Healthcare Providers (Nevada Preferred), the only Nevada-based, independent statewide PPO network is the result of a partnership between Catholic Healthcare West and Universal Health Services, Inc., who joined their Nevada medical PPO network businesses August 1, 2009. Nevada Preferred now owns and manages the well-known networks of:

Nevada Preferred Professionals (NPP)
Saint Mary's Preferred Health Care Network (PHCN)
Universal Health Network (UHN)

Nevada Preferred Healthcare Providers

Fully / Self-Funded ~ Nevada Preferred Healthcare Providers

Fully Insured and Self-Funded Plans

Fully Insured Plans

A health plan is fully insured when it is purchased from an insurance carrier or other underwriter that assumes full risk for the cost of medical expenses.

Self-Funded Plans

An employer group is self-funded or partially self-funded when it assumes risk for the cost of medical expenses.

When should an employer be self-funded?

When the employer is willing to pay only for the healthcare that its employees use
When the employer is willing to assume some liability in return for savings or premiums
When the employer wants more control over healthcare coverage and have the ability to design its own plan
When the employer wants to track its healthcare dollars and know where the money is spent

Some of the tangible advantages for being self-funded include:

Design flexibility. Cost savings for insurer risk charges and taxes
Ability to control plan benefits to manage costs
Cash flow