Medical care funding discussed in session

We are now two-thirds of the way through the 60-day session and have completed public hearings for the year. Senators will now meet in full-day sessions for floor debate. Discussion will focus on bills that have been given priority status either by a senator, a committee, or the speaker. The legislature is scheduled to adjourn April 18.

LB1087 by Sen. Jacobson would adopt the Hospital Quality Assurance and Access Assessment Act. This bill would have Nebraska join 44 other states in obtaining higher reimbursement for Medicaid and Medicare patients, in exchange, for seeking to improve the quality of care. Under the bill, the Department of Health and Human Services would be required to submit a state plan amendment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for approval to impose an assessment on Nebraska hospitals. For each dollar assessed under the program, the federal match in Medicaid-directed payments would be approximately $2.19, which would infuse an additional $1 billion in federal dollars to Nebraska hospitals without incurring a general fund impact to the state. Those dollars would be distributed to hospitals based on their share of Medicaid patients treated in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Rural hospitals across the state have had continued issues keeping their doors open due to inflation and below-cost reimbursement rates that have forced some facilities, especially those in rural areas, to eliminate or reduce needed services. According to the Nebraska Hospital Association, more than half of the state's hospitals are operating at a loss and are faced with the possibility of closing the doors. Without these facilities, the next closest hospital in parts of greater Nebraska could be hours away and prevent people in a medical emergency from receiving prompt lifesaving treatment. After some debate on the second stage of consideration, senators moved to advance the bill to final reading on a voice vote. I am a co-sponsor of LB1087.

LB1170, put forward by Sen. Riepe, would reduce unemployment benefits from the current six months to three months. Supporters of the bill argued that it is reasonable to expect someone to find a new job within three months, even if it is not their dream job, especially with the number of businesses across the state looking for new employees. Opponents of the bill argued the bill would compel workers to take low-wage jobs.

They contend the bill would undermine the wage increases that the current low unemployment rate provides. After a five-hour filibuster, LB1170 was passed over by the speaker and is unlikely to be scheduled again unless Sen. Riepe can show he has 33 votes to break the filibuster.

My personal priority bill LB1301, addressing acquisitions of land by foreign adversaries, was also advanced from the Agriculture Committee this week and is expected to come before the floor for consideration in the near future. However, my legislation is not the only bill that deals with this critical issue. During the interim last year, several senators got together to try to solve this problem of foreign adversaries or their subsidiaries from acquiring land in our state. We came up with two ideas which ultimately resulted in two bills: my LB1301 and Senator Hardin’s LB1120. LB1301 creates the mechanism to enforce our state’s existing foreign ownership laws and divest violators of such laws. Currently, county attorneys are tasked with enforcing our current statutes, but the county attorneys in greater Nebraska are hindered in what they can do to enforce these laws primarily due to time and resource constraints. My bill empowers the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Attorney General to be able to enforce foreign land ownership laws instead.

LB1120, as amended by Senator Hardin, would require affidavits affirming that a buyer of land near the panhandle missile silos have no ties to foreign adversaries. This bill would serve as a “tripwire” at the point of sale which, when used with my bill, can be used to build a legal case to go after those who acted dishonestly and violated our state’s laws. LB1120 was advanced to the second stage of debate on a 38 to 0 vote. I am a co-sponsor of LB1120.

You can always contact me with your thoughts and opinions on bills that have been introduced. Call my Capitol office telephone number at 402-471-2801 or send email to [email protected]. My mailing address is: Senator Barry DeKay, District #40, P.O. Box 94604, State Capitol, Lincoln, NE 68509.