Legal · NE
Father Sues Nebraska DHHS Over $1M Public Records Estimate
Omaha father Curt Safranek is suing Nebraska DHHS after the agency estimated it would cost nearly $1 million and take until September 2076 to fulfill his public records request about the interRAI tool used to calculate Medicaid Home and Community-Based Waiver funding. His request sought communications between DHHS and Alvarez & Marsal, the firm hired under a no-bid contract to review the tool's use before DHHS switched to competitive bidding. A revised, narrower request still drew a $474,383 estimate. The lawsuit asks a Lancaster County District Court judge to order DHHS to issue a new, accurate cost estimate and to expedite the case under state public records law.
Why it mattersThe case spotlights transparency and oversight gaps in how a state calculates Medicaid HCBS waiver funding using an algorithmic tool now used in 25 states, raising stakes for advocates and families challenging benefit determinations.