LB 774 creates a dedicated fund within Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services to manage federal funds from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the Rural Health Transformation Program. The fund directly supports rural Nebraska communities by providing resources to improve healthcare delivery systems, increase access to care, and enhance health outcomes. Key provisions require the Department to administer the fund using federal CMS dollars, invest unspent funds per state investment laws, and submit annual electronic reports to the Legislature detailing fund usage and results. This bill establishes a structured mechanism for utilizing federal health funding to address rural healthcare challenges.
LB 775 creates the Rural Health Transformation Program within Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services to improve healthcare in rural areas. The program directly affects rural healthcare providers, patients, and communities by focusing on increasing access, quality, and outcomes through specific mechanisms: supporting health innovations, strengthening provider sustainability, recruiting healthcare workers, developing new care models, and expanding digital health tools. It requires using federal funds received from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) exclusively for these purposes, as specified in the bill's funding section. The program aims to transform rural healthcare delivery without specifying new taxes or mandatory requirements.
LB 198 amends Nebraska's Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) regulations to directly affect specialty pharmacies, pharmacists, and PBMs. It prohibits PBMs from excluding accredited specialty pharmacies from their networks and bans "spread pricing" (where PBMs charge health plans different prices than they pay pharmacies for drugs). The bill also allows network pharmacists to decline to dispense a drug as prescribed and updates definitions for terms like "clinician-administered drugs" and "specialty pharmacy." These changes aim to increase transparency, protect pharmacy access, and clarify PBM obligations under state law.
LB 332 creates a new "assistant funeral director" role to support licensed funeral directors, allowing assistants to help with funeral arrangements and management under direct supervision but prohibiting embalming (Sections 4-8). The bill expands Medicaid coverage to include psychology services provided by qualified practitioners and establishes the Rural Health Opportunity Program requiring a memorandum of understanding (Sections 38-1509, 38-1512). It also updates regulations for hearing instrument specialists, changes pharmacy board membership rules, and modifies prescription refill requirements. These changes directly affect funeral service professionals, healthcare providers, and Medicaid recipients in Nebraska.
This bill updates licensing rules for therapists and child care providers in Nebraska. It creates a new pathway for marriage and family therapists licensed in other states to obtain Nebraska licenses by meeting requirements (like passing a Nebraska jurisprudence exam), without needing to retake all exams. It also clarifies the scope of practice for occupational therapists by defining specific treatment modalities (like electrotherapeutic devices). Additionally, it changes liability insurance requirements for child care facility licensees and inspectors under the Child Care Licensing Act. These changes directly affect therapists seeking to practice in Nebraska and child care providers operating under state licensing rules.
Nebraska's LB 264 moves specific state funds into the General Fund to support broader state operations. The bill requires transferring $8.25 million from the State Insurance Fund, $25.5 million from the Military Installation Fund, and over $32 million from the Water Recreation Fund, among other specified amounts, by mid-2025 or 2026. These transfers affect state financial accounts, redirecting money from specialized funds like recreation, economic development, and medical spending programs. The bill also eliminates several programs and outdated provisions, but its primary action is reallocating existing state funds.
This bill requires annual suicide awareness and prevention training for all child welfare workers and employees of child-placing agencies in Nebraska. It mandates that this training, developed by the Department of Health and Human Services in consultation with mental health experts, must cover recognizing early warning signs and trauma-informed responses for youth in the child welfare system. The training is now a requirement for initial and renewed licensure of child welfare providers and agencies, effective October 1, 2025. This directly affects over 1,000 licensed foster care providers and child welfare staff who interact with children and families in Nebraska's system.
Nebraska's LB 77 adopts the Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act, requiring health insurers and Medicaid to clearly explain prior authorization decisions and post all requirements online by 2027. The law mandates that denials must be reviewed by a physician (or clinical peer) and include specific reasons citing coverage criteria, with expedited reviews for urgent care. It also requires insurers to cover biomarker testing - tests that identify specific biological markers for diagnosis - when prescribed by a doctor. This directly affects health insurers, providers, and patients by increasing transparency in coverage decisions and expanding access to certain diagnostic tests.
LB 380 updates Nebraska's Medicaid program integrity rules to improve fairness and transparency in audits. It requires program integrity contractors to provide clear written justification for audits, limit records requests to relevant documents, and send determination letters within 180 days. The bill also mandates that auditors use licensed healthcare professionals familiar with clinical standards and prohibits audits of capitated managed care claims or claims already under review. These changes directly affect Medicaid providers and contractors by standardizing audit procedures and protecting providers from improper overpayment claims.
LB 48 establishes a five-year pilot program for Family Resource and Juvenile Assessment Centers in Nebraska's metropolitan cities. These centers will provide free, 24/7 support services - including mental health counseling, family support, educational resources, and trauma-informed care - to youth and families at risk of entering the juvenile justice system. To qualify, centers must partner with community organizations, meet quality standards through a formal designation process, and track outcomes to measure success in preventing justice system involvement. Two centers will be designated under this program, focusing on addressing root causes like family dynamics and mental health through community-driven solutions.
