Flatwater Free Press analysis finds Nebraska has sent less than 20% of its spent Rural Health Transformation Program funding to the state's rural critical access and emergency hospitals, with at least 11 receiving nothing. Nearly 39% of the $153 million allocated so far went to agencies and companies in the state's three most populous counties, and over 17% to out-of-state entities, according to state data.
In a blog post, Nebraska Appleseed reports that H.R.1's Medicaid cuts and Nebraska's early rollout of Medicaid expansion work requirements are harming residents' health coverage.
In its OpenSkyLIGHTS newsletter, OpenSky Policy Institute reports that Nebraska's projected budget shortfall for the next biennium has grown to nearly $1.2 billion, up from $847 million in July, following revised revenue forecasts from the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board.
Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers' office announced that Becky Stamp, a former court-appointed guardian from York, was convicted on Oct. 1 in York County District Court of one count of felony theft and 22 counts of financial exploitation. Stamp entered a no contest plea in a case involving the theft of roughly $140,000 from 22 victims who were under her guardianship. The case was prosecuted as Medicaid fraud, indicating the victims were likely Medicaid beneficiaries whose funds or benefits were misappropriated by their appointed guardian. Sentencing details were not included in this announcement.
Why it mattersThe conviction underscores state enforcement priorities around financial exploitation of vulnerable Medicaid beneficiaries by court-appointed fiduciaries, a compliance risk area for guardianship programs and state agencies overseeing incapacitated enrollees.
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