Latest news with #NebraskaHospitalAssociation
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Republican Town Hall Erupts After Damning Confession on Budget Bill
Nebraska Representative Mike Flood was booed relentlessly at his own town hall Tuesday as he admitted to a roomful of constituents that he had simply not read some parts of Trump's big, beautiful budget bill. 'Can you please tell us why you voted to approve a budget bill that includes section 703-02, which effectively prohibits federal courts from enforcing contempt orders … which would then allow current and future administrations to ignore those contempt orders by removing the enforcement capabilities?' one attendee asked Flood. The question is in reference to a deeply biased provision that the GOP slipped in the budget bill to protect President Trump from being held accountable by court orders. Additionally, anyone seeking to file an injunction or restraining order—two things the courts have already levied against the Trump administration numerous times—would be forced to put up a financial bond. 'I do not agree with that section that was added to that bill,' Flood responded, and was booed immediately. 'You voted for all of it!' someone shouted. 'I will tell you this. I believe in the rule of law.… I do believe that the federal district courts, when issuing an injunction, it should have legal effect. In fact I relied upon that when the Biden administration was in place,' Flood responded. Then he confessed: 'This provision was unknown to me when I voted for the bill. I am not gonna hide the truth.… We must allow our federal courts to operate and issue injunctions.' The crowd roared with hostility and disbelief toward their congressman as he admitted that he skipped over reading the entire bill before he voted for it. Flood was also hit with questions on Medicaid. Trump previously claimed that the party wouldn't touch it, before it was slashed in the budget bill. 'I was talking to the Nebraska Hospital Association almost every single day … to find out how this would affect Medicaid patients in Nebraska,' Flood continued. 'I know that the bill is not perfect, but I believe that in crafting this bill, even a president that maybe most of you disagree with, strictly said … 'Do not cut Medicaid.'' More jeers erupted. 'That doesn't mean we don't address waste, fraud, and abuse.' Trump's budget bill is expected to leave 13.7 million people without health insurance by 2034, while giving tax cuts to the wealthiest. Flood went on to defend his support of renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, while chants of 'You lie!' rained down on him. This is yet another installment in the GOP's string of nightmare town halls, as its constituents grow more and more frustrated with the actions of the man—and the party—that they voted for.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Caregivers rally, urge Nebraskans in Congress to protect Medicaid
Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, at podium, leads a rally urging Medicaid to be protected during ongoing federal budget negotiations. March 17, 2025. (Courtesy of Nebraska Hospital Association) LINCOLN — The Nebraska Hospital Association and nearly 10 other organizations rallied Monday in defense of Medicaid ahead of federal budget negotiations. Jeremy Nordquist, a former state senator and president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, led the rally on the west side of the Nebraska State Capitol on Monday. It came after the U.S. House last month passed a budget blueprint directing the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid, to reduce $880 billion in spending over the next 10 years. 'Medicaid is under threat, and that means Nebraska and Nebraska patients are under threat,' Nordquist said. The resolution doesn't mention 'Medicaid' by name, but the caregivers and outside observers have said that with a budget goal that high, Medicaid spending would have to be reduced. The Congressional Budget Office, in a March 5 letter replying to U.S. Reps. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Frank Pallone, Jr., D-N.J., essentially confirmed that there isn't enough non-Medicaid or Medicare spending to reach the targeted amount of cuts. Medicaid costs over the next 10 years, estimated at $8.2 trillion, would account for about 93% of all spending under the House committee's jurisdiction, excluding Medicare, which it estimated would account for $8.8 trillion over the same span. Monday's rally sought to highlight the potential Medicaid cuts that Nordquist said would touch all Nebraskans, even those who have commercial health coverage and might think, 'I'm fine.' 'The reality is, without Medicaid covering care for vulnerable citizens and low-income workers, very little of that care would be paid for, and therefore those services would no longer be sustainable in communities across our state,' Nordquist said. Nordquist and others asked Nebraska's all-Republican congressional delegation — U.S. Reps. Mike Flood, Don Bacon and Adrian Smith and U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts — to be 'leaders' and 'stand up to the efforts to jeopardize health care in our rural state.' 'We know our delegation understands these issues and how vulnerable access to care is across Nebraska,' Nordquist said. 'Now it's time for them to use that knowledge and push back against these proposed cuts.' Bacon has voiced some concerns about potential Medicaid cuts but said he was assured by GOP leadership 'that the final bill will not affect the quality of healthcare covered by Medicaid.' 'They all said the final numbers will be more moderate,' Bacon said in a Feb. 25 statement after his vote for the resolution. 'We'll have a chance to vote on these two more times to get it right. Therefore, I am supporting the budget reconciliation because I want to secure the border, expand our energy production, improve our military and extend the tax cuts.' National and local Democrats have targeted Republicans, including Bacon, for the vote and vowed to use it in the 2026 election cycle. Bacon has fended off challengers in each of his past four election cycles. 'Don Bacon can spread all the falsehoods he wants, but there is no escaping the fact that the House Republican budget will result in massive cuts to Medicaid and hurt millions of families. Another fact: Their terrible, unpopular budget will cost Bacon his seat next year,' Justin Chermol, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a recent statement. Among other organizations in attendance at the rally or supporting the call to action: Nebraska Medical Association. Nebraska Nurses Association. LeadingAge Nebraska. Health Center Association of Nebraska. Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations. Nebraska Rural Health Association. Nebraska Nurse Practitioners. Nebraska Pharmacists Association. Nebraska Home Care Association. Dr. Robert Wergin, a family physician from Seward and president-elect of the Nebraska Medical Association, said physicians can't 'sit idly by' without making clear what is at stake. 'Cuts will hurt the entire health care system in Nebraska, and cuts will ultimately hurt all Nebraskans by decreasing access, increasing costs of health care and hurting our communities,' Wergin said. Linda Hardy, a registered nurse for more than 48 years and president of the Nebraska Nurses Association, said 79 million Americans rely on Medicaid for health care. This includes preventive care for chronic diseases and prenatal or postpartum care. Wergin said the 'safety net' helps roughly 350,000 Nebraskans, including 180,000 children, and helps pay for care ranging from immunizations and dental care to speech and physical therapies. Should Medicaid be cut, Wergin and others said it would lead to an elimination of services, exacerbating maternal health care deserts in Nebraska and would increase the burden on Nebraska's already strained state budget. In a given year, Medicaid contributes $3 billion to the state economy, Wergin said. Jed Hansen, executive director of the Nebraska Rural Health Association, said the cuts 'aren't just numbers on a budget sheet' and that in rural health care, it's a 'numbers game' where one cut could be the 'final blow.' Amy Behnke, chief executive officer of the Health Center Association of Nebraska, supporting seven community health centers, said Medicaid is integral to patient health and well-being. Medicaid cuts would eat into services, Behnke said, leading to widespread reductions. Hansen said that when many services are eliminated they don't come back. 'These cuts translate into real-life consequences: closed hospitals, shuttered clinics and rural families left without access to care that they need,' Hansen said. Roger Reamer, chief executive officer of Memorial Health Care System in Seward, and Tami Lewis-Ahrendt, chief operating officer of the Lincoln-based nonprofit CenterPointe, also spoke of Medicaid's importance. Lewis-Ahrendt said the state's voter-approved Medicaid expansion in 2018 has helped the nonprofit provide critical care to 700 more people each month than in 2019. She said many Nebraskans were unable to access care before the expansion, with some delaying care until a crisis arose. She said it's not just 'numbers on a report' but the 'real people,' such as a mother accessing treatment for postpartum depression, a young adult getting support and medication for schizophrenia or an individual in recovery who finally has access to outpatient services. 'Access to Medicaid means more families can find hope in knowing that their loved ones are getting the care they desperately need,' Lewis-Ahrendt said. Kierstin Reed, chief executive officer of LeadingAge Nebraska, said Medicaid cuts could be detrimental for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home and community-based services and other post-acute programs. Reed noted about half of Nebraskans enrolled in Medicaid live in rural communities that have been hit most by the state's loss of 17% of nursing homes and 11% of assisted living facilities in recent years. 'Families will be forced to shoulder the burden of care for their older family members, which may lead to financial ruin for multiple generations,' Reed said. Reed and Lewis-Ahrendt said Medicaid 'isn't just about policy.' 'It's about giving Nebraskans the chance to heal, to thrive, to live in recovery and to contribute fully to our society,' Lewis-Ahrendt said. 'That is something worth protecting.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Proposed cuts would harm rural health care
Rural hospitals already face tight margins. Uncertainty in Washington could make things worse. (Getty Images) Nebraska hospitals have a North Star that guides them. Wherever a patient lives in Nebraska, they deserve access to quality care. We must work to ensure our health care providers do not have to choose between financial survival and delivering lifesaving care. Unfortunately, congressional leadership in Washington has signaled that large cuts to health care services are currently being considered, including major cuts to the Medicaid program. Medicaid is a major source of health care coverage for Nebraskans in rural areas. Nearly half of all Nebraskans enrolled in Medicaid live in rural counties. These cuts pose severe threats to Nebraska patients and hospitals, particularly in rural communities. Rural communities need accessible health care to stay strong. Medicaid is essential for protecting hospitals and other critical services in rural Nebraska. Mental health, EMS, home health, hospice, long-term care for older patients and delivering babies for young families are just a few examples of the care delivered in Nebraska. In our rural hospitals, Medicaid pays for 26% of all emergency room visits, 33% of all births, 43% of all behavioral health services and 44% of all services provided to minor patients. Rural hospitals are operating on razor-thin margins. The financial picture for Nebraska's rural hospitals has not improved in recent years, and many are still struggling to operate in the black. In Nebraska, 54% of rural, independent critical access hospitals are operating at a loss. The average operating margin was only 1.4% for rural hospitals, well below a sustainable operating margin. These tough financial conditions have forced more than 20% of Nebraska hospitals to reduce or eliminate services in the past two years – vital services like labor and delivery and behavioral health. Federal health care cuts would harm rural hospitals in Nebraska that are already struggling to stay open. Rural hospitals and patients need meaningful support from lawmakers. Medicaid is crucial for providing health coverage to children and families in rural and small communities, ensuring access to essential health care. In fact, 55 of Nebraska's rural counties surpass the state's average Medicaid enrollment. If lawmakers want to do more than pay lip service to retaining labor and delivery care, behavioral health and senior care in Nebraska, they must protect programs like Medicaid. We need Nebraskans to speak up and stop these cuts to health care that will dismantle the hospital safety net and destroy access to care in rural communities. Please act today! Visit to make your voice heard. Jeremy Nordqust is president of the Nebraska Hospital Association. Nordquist served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2009 to 2015 and as a chief of staff in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2015 to 2020. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
