OPINION: Nevada broke its promise to solo entrepreneurs
Nevada markets itself as the most entrepreneurial-friendly state in the nation, but the reality for solo business owners tells a different story. While the state pushes initiatives like the Right to Start legislation to recruit new businesses, the actual cost of operating as a freelancer has become unsustainable. Many independent contractors are finding that high health insurance premiums on the individual market make it impossible to stay in business.
Take the case of a local human resources consultant in Las Vegas. After five years of running a successful firm, she was forced to close her business and take a corporate job simply to secure stable health insurance. This is not an isolated incident. When federal premium subsidies lapsed at the beginning of 2026, many independent workers saw their monthly costs surge. A 26 percent average rate increase for marketplace plans only exacerbated the issue, pushing many to drop their coverage entirely.
Governor Joe Lombardo touts a pro-business environment, yet his office has failed to address the massive burden of healthcare costs on the self-employed. The state's public option, known as the Battle Born State Plan, has not lowered premiums for the average freelancer. Instead of targeting the high costs that drive entrepreneurs out of the state, these policies have largely ignored the needs of those who generate more revenue for Nevada than the gaming industry.
If the state truly values the small business economy, it needs to move beyond simple marketing and tackle the high cost of health insurance. A temporary state-level premium subsidy for independent contractors could provide the stability needed to keep these businesses open. Instead, independent entrepreneurs are left to compete in a market where they lack the influence of large unions or corporate groups. As the gubernatorial race approaches, voters are looking for more than campaign rhetoric. They need tangible solutions that prevent the loss of the state's own workforce.
The governor is asking for a second term, but he has yet to explain why his current policies are forcing the very entrepreneurs he recruited to close their doors. Until the state addresses the financial realities faced by its independent workers, the promise of an entrepreneurial-friendly Nevada remains disconnected from the experiences of its citizens. The math for staying in business is becoming harder to justify, and the current inaction from state leadership is failing the people who contribute most to the economy.