LB 318 requires Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services to file a federal Medicaid state plan amendment to extend existing medical assistance coverage to incarcerated youth. The bill mandates this amendment to ensure youth in state custody receive the same Medicaid benefits - such as hospital care, mental health services, and prescription drugs - as other eligible residents under the Medical Assistance Act. This policy change directly affects youth held in Nebraska's correctional facilities, making their healthcare coverage consistent with state Medicaid rules. The amendment must be submitted to federal authorities for approval, aligning Nebraska's program with federal Medicaid requirements for this population.
Nebraska's LB 96 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to submit federal waiver applications for two specific programs. First, it mandates a waiver to reimburse two designated medical respite facilities (one in a large city, one in a smaller city) for services to homeless adults in the Medicaid expansion population. Second, it requires a waiver to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to at least 6 months for beneficiaries. The bill also requires annual reports to the legislature on program usage, costs, and healthcare savings. This bill directly affects homeless adults in Medicaid expansion and postpartum patients by enabling federal approval for these expanded services.
LB 153 requires Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services to submit a state plan amendment to the federal government seeking approval to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to at least six months for eligible new mothers. This change would directly affect Medicaid-covered postpartum individuals, ensuring continued health insurance coverage during the critical postpartum period. The bill specifies that funding for this extension would come from the Medicaid Managed Care Excess Profit Fund, as outlined in Section 68-996. The amendment seeks federal matching funds to support this expanded coverage period under the Children's Health Insurance Program.
LB 67 requires hospitals in Nebraska to provide sexual assault survivors with clear, accurate information about emergency contraception in their preferred language, including offering a full course unless declined. It mandates hospital staff training on providing objective information and ensures survivors can access emergency contraception as part of standard care following an assault. The bill also establishes a confidential complaint process with the Department of Health and Human Services for hospitals failing to comply, while protecting individuals who report violations from liability.
LB 189 would establish Nebraska's Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act, creating a state-administered program providing wage replacement for eligible workers. It directly affects employees of participating employers and self-employed individuals who opt into the program, covering leave for reasons like newborn care, serious health conditions, and military family needs (e.g., caring for a service member on active duty). Key provisions include calculating benefits based on the worker's average weekly wage during a defined base period, with specific coverage for military-related exigencies like deployment preparation or reintegration events. The bill requires employers to participate or allow self-employed individuals to opt in, with benefits funded through employee and employer contributions to a new state-administered fund.
This bill establishes safety requirements for physicians prescribing abortion-inducing drugs in Nebraska. It mandates in-person examinations, pregnancy verification, Rh factor testing, and follow-up visits within 3-14 days to confirm pregnancy termination and monitor for adverse events like hemorrhage or infection. Physicians must report specific details to the health department (excluding patient identifiers) within 30 days, and violations of these protocols become grounds for unprofessional conduct charges under medical licensing rules. The law directly affects physicians who prescribe such drugs, aiming to standardize safety monitoring without restricting access to the procedure itself.
LB 66 proposes adopting Nebraska's version of the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act. This bill would establish a standardized legal framework for advance healthcare planning, allowing adults to appoint agents to make medical decisions if they become unable to do so themselves (via "advance directives" or "power of attorney for health care"). It defines key terms like "agent," "default surrogate" (e.g., family members), and "cohabitant," clarifying who can make decisions and under what circumstances. The act directly affects Nebraskans planning ahead for healthcare, their families, and healthcare providers who must follow these procedures. (Note: The bill is currently pending before the Judiciary Committee as of January 2025.)
LB 351 changes the priority order for admitting patients to Nebraska's state hospitals for the mentally ill. It establishes five priority categories: (1) patients needed for public safety, (2) defendants in jail deemed incompetent, (3) patients committed under mental health laws, (4) those most likely to benefit from treatment, and (5) indigent patients when other categories are equal. The bill also requires state hospitals to allocate specific bed percentages to each category (e.g., 30% for committed patients) and reserve 30% of beds for flexible allocation to reduce waitlists. Additionally, it mandates weekly public reporting on facility capacity and wait times by the Department of Health and Human Services. This bill directly affects patients seeking mental health hospitalization and state facilities managing admissions.
LB 437 would repeal Nebraska's Health Care Certificate of Need (CON) Act, removing a requirement that hospitals and healthcare facilities must obtain state approval before expanding services, building new facilities, or making major capital investments. This change directly affects hospitals, healthcare providers, and potentially patients by eliminating a state review process for facility expansions and capital projects. The bill repeals all provisions of the CON Act (sections 71-5801 through 71-5870) and modifies related sections in the Nonprofit Hospital Sale Act to remove overlapping approval requirements. It does not create new regulations but eliminates existing state oversight for healthcare facility expansions. The bill aims to reduce regulatory barriers for healthcare providers in Nebraska.
LB 527 creates a Medicaid Access and Quality Fund by imposing a 6% tax on certain health insurance premiums starting January 2026. The fund will increase payments to nonhospital Medicaid providers (like clinics and doctors) to improve access to care, especially for rural patients, pregnant women, and children. It also allocates $75 monthly per patient to primary care providers who serve as medical homes for Medicaid beneficiaries. This directly affects Nebraska Medicaid beneficiaries, healthcare providers, and insurance companies paying the tax.
