Nebraska hospitals seek help with 60 percent of rural hospitals operating in the red

Rural Nebraska hospitals are facing severe financial difficulties, with 60% operating at a loss. The Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) reports a billion-dollar shortfall in Medicaid reimbursements, which fails to cover patient care costs. A proposed medicaid directed payment program, which allows hospitals to pool funds and unlock federal dollars, could alleviate the strain without impacting state tax dollars. The bill, gaining bipartisan support in the legislature, aims to help hospitals avoid cutting essential services like labor, behavioral health, and hospice care. Chad Van Cleave of Columbus Community Hospital emphasized the critical need for these funds to maintain operations.

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