LB 322 increases penalties for assaulting specific professionals while they are working. It makes assault on pharmacists, healthcare workers (including hospital/clinic staff), and emergency responders a higher felony classification when committed during their duties at pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics. The bill defines "pharmacist" as a state-licensed pharmacy practitioner and "health care professional" to include all employees at healthcare facilities. This amendment enhances existing assault penalties for these targeted groups without creating new prohibitions. The bill is currently postponed indefinitely in Nebraska's legislative process.
LB 381 amends Nebraska's Medical Assistance Act to update rules for program integrity audits conducted by contractors. It requires contractors to provide clear written justification for starting audits, limit review periods to one year (except for fraud), send detailed audit results within 180 days, and notify providers of overpayment determinations with specific details like beneficiary names and claim numbers. The bill also mandates that audits be conducted by healthcare professionals in relevant specialties, requires advance notice for onsite audits (at least 10 business days), and prohibits recovery of payments for services with prior authorization. These changes directly affect medical providers and program integrity contractors by standardizing audit procedures and improving transparency in billing disputes.
LB 630 amends Nebraska's Occupational Therapy Practice Act to clarify and update scope-of-practice rules for occupational therapists and assistants. It redefines key terms like "electrotherapeutic agent modalities" (Sec. 38-2507) and "physical agent modalities" (Sec. 38-2513), specifies permitted treatments (e.g., heat/cold therapy, electrical stimulation), and refines temporary license rules (Sec. 38-2517). The bill directly affects licensed therapists, assistants, students in training, and healthcare workers in related fields who may perform overlapping tasks under defined conditions. These changes aim to modernize practice standards while maintaining clear boundaries for who can provide specific treatments.
Nebraska's LB 553 expands eligibility under the Rural Health Systems and Professional Incentive Act to include dietitian nutritionist students and professionals in loan programs. It adds "dietitian nutritionist program" to qualifying education pathways for student loans and includes dietitian nutritionists in the loan repayment program, with a $15,000 annual cap and $45,000 lifetime maximum for full-time practice in designated health shortage areas. The bill also requires the commission to designate shortage areas specifically for dietitian nutritionist practice and mandates that recipients agree to practice in these areas and accept Medicaid patients. This change harmonizes dietitian nutritionist provisions with existing categories like physicians and mental health practitioners. The bill was amended into LB 312 before passing.
Nebraska's LB 697 amends pharmacy practice regulations to update compounding standards and delegated dispensing rules. It requires pharmacists to follow specific U.S. Pharmacopeia standards for compounding (effective Jan. 2023) and prohibits compounding certain drugs, like FDA-withdrawn products or copies of approved drugs during shortages. The bill also revises delegated dispensing permits for public health clinics, limiting dispensing to contraceptive refills, mandating detailed labeling requirements, and requiring a pharmacist's daily availability to answer questions. These changes directly affect pharmacists, pharmacy boards, and public health clinics operating under delegated dispensing permits.
This Nebraska bill (LB 515) amends pharmacy rules to establish clear procedures for pharmacists to provide emergency prescription refills when doctors cannot be contacted. It allows pharmacists to dispense up to a 30-day supply (or the previous refill amount, whichever is less) for non-controlled maintenance medications under specific conditions: the refill must be for ongoing treatment, the pharmacist must verify the prescription through records or a database, and the pharmacist must judge that interrupting therapy would harm the patient. The bill directly affects pharmacists and patients who need urgent access to ongoing medications like diabetes or blood pressure drugs. It does not change standard refill rules but creates a defined emergency process to prevent treatment gaps.
LB 706 requires law enforcement officers to be accompanied by trained adult protective services (APS) social workers during calls involving individuals with mental health concerns or a history of mental illness. Dispatchers must screen calls for mental health issues, flag them as "Mental Health Priority," and notify nearby APS social workers to join the response. The APS social worker takes the lead in interactions, using de-escalation techniques and trauma-informed care to reduce the risk of harm. Law enforcement agencies must create written policies for this process, which the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement will review annually for compliance.
LB 454 amends Nebraska law to update rules for regional behavioral health authorities and establish the Behavioral Health Services Fund. It requires these authorities to adopt uniform fee policies based on consumer income (not exceeding service costs), mandate competitive bidding for services unless specific exemptions apply, and maintain separate budgets for behavioral health funding. The new Behavioral Health Services Fund will provide grants, loans, and reimbursements to support community-based behavioral health services statewide, including housing assistance for very low-income adults with serious mental illness. These changes directly affect regional behavioral health authorities, behavioral health providers, and consumers receiving public behavioral health services.
LB 457 requires Nebraska school districts and licensed child care facilities to adopt written policies for managing anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions) by July 1, 2026. These policies must include emergency protocols, individualized care plans for children with allergies, and strategies to reduce allergen exposure, based on model guidelines developed by the Health and Human Services Department. The bill also limits out-of-pocket insurance costs for epinephrine injectors to $50 annually for covered individuals, effective January 1, 2026. It directly affects schools, child care programs, and insured individuals needing emergency allergy treatment.
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.
