Gov. Pillen Celebrates $1 Billion in Federal Funding Approval for Nebraska Hospitals

 LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen is celebrating a significant federal financial award -- one that will have a huge impact on hospital, health and nursing care across the state. Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) announced Nebraska’s approval to implement the Hospital Quality Assurance and Access Assessment Act, established through the passage of LB1087 (2024).

“The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services today approved the hospital funding waiver as proposed in LB 1087, a transformative equity infusion for Nebraska hospitals, which I have championed since I first took office,” said Gov. Pillen. “This approval authorizes $1 billion for hospitals across Nebraska, which will have a positive impact for generations to come. Due to politics, ideology, or bureaucracy, the State of Nebraska inexplicably passed on these resources for more than a decade, even as the overwhelming majority of our fellow states (44 of them) participated. I am grateful to President Trump for this investment in rural healthcare and revitalization, and to Senator Mike Jacobson for spearheading approval of this bill in the Legislature.”

In March of last year, the Governor joined Sen. Jacobsen, other senators and representatives from the Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) in signing the new legislation. By mid-June, Nebraska had submitted its request to CMS for approval.

“Through collaboration with NHA, persistent follow up with CMS and leadership support, we were able to work our way to receiving approval today,” said Gov. Pillen. “We will dramatically increase reimbursement rates to hospitals without taking any additional dollars from the state’s General Fund, all the while, allowing us to serve Nebraskans in one of the most critical and impactful ways possible.”

Coverage of the bill signing for LB1087 is available through the link below:
https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/gov-pillen-state-senators-and-healthcare-leaders-celebrate-legislation-provide-1-billion