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Committee considers allowing physical therapists to file medical liens for injury care
Summary
LB1012 would add licensed physical therapists to the list of providers eligible to file medical liens against personal injury settlements, supporters said, to protect patient access to rehabilitative care and prevent small practices from carrying unpaid balances until case resolution.
Senator Ben Hansen introduced LB1012 to amend Nebraska’s medical lien statute to include physical therapists among providers who may assert a lien on personal‑injury settlement proceeds for post‑injury care. Hansen told the committee the change does not apply to workers’ compensation cases and does not alter settlement structures; it is intended to allow patients to receive rehabilitative care promptly while preserving providers’ reasonable expectation of payment if a settlement later occurs.
Physical therapists and association officials described practical problems caused by the current omission from statute. Nick Weber, president of the Nebraska chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, said physical therapists have become integral to injury recovery and that exclusion from the lien statute leaves many clinics — especially small or rural practices — financially exposed when cases take months or years to resolve. Brian Brunken and other clinic managers described administrative burdens and occasional unreimbursed care after settlements.
Committee members asked practical questions about how liens are filed and executed, how legal fees are handled in settlements and whether the statute change affects Medicare/Medicaid. Supporters said the proposal is narrow and focused on private‑party personal‑injury cases; it would allow PTs to secure usual and customary fees from settlement proceeds and thereby avoid delaying care for financial reasons.
No opponents registered at the hearing and the committee concluded the LB1012 testimony after proponents answered process questions; the official online record later listed 13 proponents.
