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Senate adopts amendment to fund postpartum home visits using Medicaid excess profit fund; LB22A advances
Summary
The Legislature adopted an amendment to LB22A clarifying calculations and limited state general-fund exposure, agreed to an appropriation from the Medicaid excess profit fund and advanced the A-bill to engrossing.
The Legislature on select file adopted AM780 to LB22A, which allocates a state appropriation drawn from the Medicaid excess profit fund to support a postpartum home-visiting program and clarified matching calculations for federal funds. Senators voted to advance LB22A to E & R for engrossing after debate and committee work.
Senator Duncan, sponsor of the measure on the floor, told colleagues the bill is intended to expand postpartum nursing visits and maternal supports: the program covers head-to-toe nursing services in the postpartum period and is intended to improve maternal and infant outcomes in the first six months after birth. Senator Spivey, who works in the maternal and child health space, described the bills as an investment in “moms and babies” and said many Nebraska counties are maternal-care deserts.
Senator Duncan said the state portion of the appropriation was negotiated with the Department of Health and Human Services and stakeholders; initial fiscal estimates had shown a higher state cost, but the sponsor said adjustments brought the state share “down to under a million.” He also noted an appropriation out of the Medicaid excess profit fund—about $40 million currently in the fund—and brought a floor amendment and a select-file amendment that added language clarifying that no general funds would be used if the excess profit fund were ever depleted. Senator Hansen specifically asked for that clarification; Duncan confirmed an amendment on select file prevents tapping the general fund for this program.
The body recorded the amendment’s adoption (clerk recorded 38 ayes, 0 nays) and then advanced LB22A to E & R for engrossing by voice vote. The bill’s proponents said the program will focus on at-home nurse visiting for postpartum families, with an initial state cash-fund appropriation to leverage federal matching funds.
Why it matters: The bill directs cash-fund resources to maternal and infant health services that sponsors and supporters say target the highest-risk window for maternal and infant deaths and will provide home-based nursing support in counties lacking services.
Next steps: LB22A will proceed through engrossing and subsequent legislative stages; sponsors and stakeholders said they will continue to monitor federal matching arrangements and implementation details with DHHS.
