Nebraska
Insurance must now cover all parts of Nebraskans’ colorectal cancer screenings • Nebraska Examiner
LINCOLN — In the summer of 2002, Margaret Stamp returned home to Sarpy County from college four weeks after her 74-year-old grandmother, Phyllis Behm, had died from a short battle with colorectal cancer.
Stamp found her dad, Mark Behm, a former northeast Nebraska county attorney and private practice lawyer, wincing in pain on the living room floor. Stamp described him as in shape and thin. She said he looked healthy and didn’t drink or smoke.
But that weekend, Stamp’s father was doubled over, and he told his daughter, “Call your mom.”
“I’d never seen him like that,” Stamp recalled. “Never even remember him getting the flu or sick. Next thing we know, he’s in emergency surgery — it’s stage IV [colorectal] cancer, and there’s nothing they can do.”
Behm grew up in Olde Towne Bellevue and graduated from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1976. He served as the Cedar County attorney from 1977 through 1993 and had a private practice in Wausa for many years, later a private practice with other attorneys in Randolph. Behm was also a 1980 delegate to the Republican National Convention for Ronald Reagan and was president of Out Front Properties, a local property management company where his daughter is now vice president.
Stamp said her father’s doctors did what they could to prolong his life and make conditions less painful, and he continued practicing law until about a week before he died in April 2004, at the age of 52.
Twenty years later, Stamp and others have successfully pushed for new state laws that expand insurance coverage for colorectal cancer screenings and associated procedures. The latest law took effect this week.
Stamp recalled losing her father as different from cancer deaths she had seen in some movies, where someone closes their eyes and goes to sleep. She said it was awful and that her father said over and over he couldn’t breathe, had muscle spasms and felt his body shutting down.
“To me, anything you can do to stop that is worth every penny,” Stamp said. “It’s worth going in, getting your colonoscopy, even though I know it can be literally a pain in the butt for some people, but you don’t want that message, ‘It’s too late,’ because then there’s nothing to do but plan the funeral.”
‘We can save lives’
Legislative Bill 829 from State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue took effect Jan. 1. It requires insurance companies to cover each “integral part” of performing a colorectal cancer screening, including:
- Removing polyps (abnormal cell growths in the underlining of the colon or rectum) found as part of a colonoscopy.
- Any pathology examination of a polyp biopsy.
- Required specialist consultation prior to the screening.
- Bowel preparation medications prescribed for the screening.
- Anesthesia services performed in connection with the preventive colonoscopy.
Its adoption followed passage of LB 92 in 2023, which included a provision from State Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln that required insurance plans to cover screening colonoscopies, as well as an annual stool-based preventative screening test designed for patients with minimal to average risk of colorectal cancer.
Nebraska is ranked in the lower half of states for colorectal cancer screening rates, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
Blood told the Nebraska Examiner she came up with the idea for her LB 829 when she was getting a colonoscopy and was handed a release before her procedure saying most insurance companies wouldn’t cover part of a colonoscopy should they find something, like a polyp, which can grow into cancer over time.
“Why would you want somebody to be put under anesthesia and look for something and just leave it there?” Blood said. “It made no sense whatsoever.”
Blood said her colonoscopy found something that her insurance didn’t cover, which left her on the hook for a procedure that cost $800 to $900.
Congress has closed this “loophole” for people on Medicare and Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act, Blood said, while others with private insurance were told they “could just go pound sand.”
“I thought, well, we can save lives with this one tweak,” Blood said of her Nebraska law, which passed 41-5 in the spring.
What is colorectal cancer?
Jungyoon Kim, Ph.D., who does colon cancer screening research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health, said colorectal cancer develops in the large intestine areas like the colon or rectum that are part of the digestive system.
Most colorectal cancers start with a polyp, Kim said, most of which are benign. However, some polyps can change into cancer over time, mostly over many years, like 10-15 years.
Symptoms can include blood in the stool or toilet after a bowel movement, constipation over a long period, abdominal pain or cramping, changes in the shape or size of stool and sudden or unexplained weight loss. If observed, Kim said a doctor should be consulted immediately.
One of the most common misconceptions, though, is that people think they must wait to see symptoms before getting screened, Kim said, which gives polyps time to grow.
“Sometimes, if you see the symptoms and go to the doctor, it might be too late,” Kim said. “That’s why the United States Preventative Services Task Force recommends to get screening when people become 45, even if they do not have any symptoms.”
People with a family history or who have previously had cancer should be screened earlier, Kim said, such as in their 20s or 30s.
Kim said that when a doctor can find and remove polyps, it stops the growth in its tracks and is “like you’re preventing cancer before it even becomes cancer cells.”
If colorectal cancer is detected early, Kim said, the chance of the cancer being cured is about 92%.
Some cancers can be prevented by regular screening, which includes breast cancer through mammograms at the age of 40 or other screenings for cervical or lung cancer.
Disparities include rural Nebraska
According to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, early-age colorectal cancer diagnoses are on the rise. By 2030, the cancer is predicted to be the leading cause of death in people younger than 50, according to DHHS.
It is already the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in men and women combined.
Kim said disparities exist among racial minorities, people living in rural areas, people who are low-income or people with limited access to insurance or certain doctors, who can’t access screenings.
Blood noted those disparities as a reason for the bill, as every medical procedure comes with a certain amount of risk, but that for some patients, they had to “play Russian roulette with what’s in their body” and decide whether they could pay or come back later, if needed.
“That just seems wrong, especially when you look at how much higher colon cancer rates are in our rural areas,” Blood said.
Kim and Stamp said the new law made sense. Stamp added it will help avoid costlier cancer treatments and help save lives.
Importance of prevention
Stamp said her father had found some blood in his stool about two years prior to discovering he had cancer. His doctor had said it was probably hemorrhoids but gave him an at-home testing kit just in case, as at the time he didn’t have a family history of the disease.
The day after Stamp’s father found out he had cancer, Stamp said her mother found the at-home test in her father’s drawer at home. Stamp noted that around 2000, colon cancer wasn’t talked about as much as it is today. She said some people are still embarrassed to talk about it.
Stamp, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln alum who is now 44 and lives in Omaha with her husband and two teenage daughters, got her first colonoscopy at the age of 24.
She has had three more colonoscopies since, with a fifth planned in 2026, and encouraged others to get the procedure, which she described as a “walk in the park.”
“You are taken such good care of, and it is nothing compared to getting cancer and having to have surgery or chemotherapy or one of those colostomy bags,” Stamp said.
Stamp said her father missed her getting married about six months after his death and her two daughters being born, all for not realizing he had cancer.
“It was two quick deaths in the family that got me starting to try to advocate for colon cancer and having colonoscopies,” Stamp said. “… Anything people can do for prevention, it is so worth it, because it’s one of those things you don’t see coming.”
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) – The number of abortions performed in Nebraska rose 7.8% in 2025 as the dust begins to settle on some of the state’s — and neighboring states’ — newer abortion restrictions.
According to data from the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), at least 2,698 abortions were performed in Nebraska in 2025. That’s 197 more than 2024’s total of 2,501 abortions in one year.
Nebraska’s abortion rate has remained relatively consistent over the last two decades, between 1,900 and 2,800 procedures performed each year. However, 2,698 is the highest the state has reached since 2008, and is the third year in a row that the number of abortions performed has increased from the previous year.
The steady increase coincides with increased abortion restrictions being implemented in Nebraska and throughout the nation in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
In 2023, the Nebraska Legislature passed legislation restricting access to abortion from the previous 20 weeks, to 12 weeks gestation. The following year, voters approved language added to the state Constitution that bans most abortions after the first trimester.
Andi Curry Grubb, executive director of Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS), said this tracks with what Planned Parenthood officials have been seeing throughout the Midwest. Though she didn’t have exact numbers for the first half of 2026, she said the pace seems to be consistent with what she saw in 2025.
Notably, the number of abortions performed on Nebraska residents actually dropped from 2,054 in 2024 to 1,968 in 2025. The overall increase comes from an influx of out-of-state patients traveling to Nebraska for abortions, most of them from Iowa.
In 2023, the Iowa Legislature approved legislation banning abortion after cardiac activity is detected, around six weeks gestation. The law went into effect in June 2024.
Giselle Barajas, senior communications specialist for PPNCS, said Planned Parenthood has seen a 220% increase in Iowa patients coming to Nebraska between 2023 and 2025. The number nearly doubled between the last year of data, growing from 358 Iowans reported in 2024 to 635 in 2025.
Nate Grasz, executive director of the Nebraska Family Alliance — a lobbying group that has supported increased abortion restrictions — said the increase in Iowa patients correlates to the state’s stricter abortion laws.
“We haven’t made as much progress,” Grasz said of Nebraska’s abortion policies.
Grasz noted there are fewer places in Iowa for people to seek abortions, saying that Planned Parenthood had closed some of its clinics. Barajas said Planned Parenthood does plan to close its Iowa City Health Center at the end of the month, but noted they still have a facility in Des Moines in operation.
Grasz said there are still serious gaps in Nebraska’s laws regarding abortion. He described the DHHS statistics as a “tragic report,” saying that every one of the 2,698 abortions reported represents a baby that went unprotected and a woman who went unaided.
Grasz highlighted that medication-induced abortions also are on the rise in Nebraska, according to the report. Medication abortions made up 83% of all abortions performed in 2025, compared to about 80% in 2024.
Grasz said Legislative Bill 512, proposed by State Sen. Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, would have been an important piece of ensuring the safety of medication abortions. The bill would have imposed additional steps before a patient could be prescribed an abortion pill, but the bill did not make it past the first round of floor debate.
Nebraska abortions by year
2008: 2,813
2009: 2,551
2010: 2,464
- Abortion ban past 20 weeks of pregnancy takes effect in Nebraska
2011: 2,372
2012: 2,299
2013: 2,177
2014: 2,270
2015: 2,004
2016: 1,907
2017: 1,958
2018: 2,078
2019: 2,068
2020: 2,378
2021: 2,360
2022: 2,547
- Roe v. Wade overturned by U.S. Supreme Court
2023: 2,325
- Nebraska Legislature approves abortion ban at 12 weeks post-gestation
2024: 2,501
- Nebraska voters approve constitutional amendment Initiative 434, banning most abortions past the first trimester
2025: 2,698
Source: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Copyright 2026 KOLN. All rights reserved.
University of Nebraska–Lincoln staff and retirees are invited to register for HealthierU’s summer small group training program.
Small group training combines the motivation of group fitness with individualized guidance from a certified personal trainer, helping participants work toward fitness goals in a supportive environment.
The summer 2026 session is July 14 to Aug. 20 and meets from 6:30 to 7:20 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the recreation center on City Campus. The cost is $60 for Campus Recreation members and $110 for nonmembers.
Participants may also add pre- and post-program InBody scans for $20. The noninvasive body composition assessment helps participants measure progress and better understand changes in body composition throughout the program.
Register by completing the intake form. Registration is open through July 14 or until the program reaches capacity.
Learn more about the program.
Nebraska
Nebraska ag experts say early detection for livestock parasites, illnesses will be important during summer show season
County fairs and livestock shows are ramping up this summer as several cattle illness threats are starting to emerge in Nebraska and other states. Livestock experts aren’t raising alarm about increased spread, but they are encouraging livestock owners to pay more attention this year to biosecurity efforts and the movement of their animals.
Two threats have emerged over the last several months: the rise in a tick-born disease called Theileria and the return of a flesh-eating parasite called the New World Screwworm.
At least 10 feedlots and three breeding herds have reported cases of imported cattle having Theileria. The disease is caused by the Asian longhorn tick, most commonly found on the East Coast. The tick itself hasn’t been found in Nebraska, but the disease can be spread further by reusing needles with an infected animal or through other blood-sucking organisms such as lice. The symptoms include anemia, jaundice, loss of appetite, exercise intolerance and weakness. In some cases, the disease can be fatal.
Cattle owners have been closely watching the spread of the New World Screwworm. It wreaked havoc on U.S. herds decades ago, but it was eradicated from the country in the 1960s. Cases started appearing in Texas in early June, and cattle owners in neighboring states have assumed that the parasite will eventually spread north. The screwworms lay eggs in the flesh of live animals, which can cause infections, disease and death if left untreated.
Nebraska Extension said early detection of the parasite is “critical for successful control efforts.” Possible early signs of New World Screwworm infections include non-healing wounds, depression or restlessness, foul-smelling lesions, presence of maggots in living tissue and animals showing pain or discomfort. They could show this behavior through shaking their heads or showing pain or irritation around wounds.
Several county fairs and shows have already started this summer. The Nebraska State Fair will kick off at the end of August in Grand Island. But several other large-scale shows, including the Burwell Rodeo that brings together animals from outside Nebraska, will culminate over the next few weeks.
Vaughn Sievers, the agriculture director for the Nebraska State Fair, said fair officials work closely with an official State Fair veterinarian to evaluate the health of animals before they are allowed onto fairgrounds.
“To date, the fair has not experienced a disease outbreak,” Sievers said. “However, we coordinate closely with our security and veterinary teams to maintain response plans and designated quarantine areas in the event one were to occur.”
Officials with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture said livestock owners should start biosecurity measures even before they set out to travel to shows. The state agency is recommending livestock owners ensure all their equipment is clean and disinfected, and they should monitor their animal’s health leading up to traveling for shows.
While livestock are at fairs, the department said exhibitors shouldn’t share tools with others, and when using a community hose, they should not allow their animals to drink directly from the hose or dip the community hose in their bucket.
After the shows or fairs are over and animals are heading back to farms, livestock owners should isolate all the show animals for at least two to three weeks, just in case illnesses develop several days after returning home. Experts recommend keeping animals away from nose-to-nose contact, if they’re able.
The Nebraska State Fair has a protocol for handling biosecurity measures and subsequent contingency plans.
Nebraska Extension has provided checklists for ag producers who are taking their animals outside state lines. Lindsay Waechter-Mead, a beef educator with Nebraska Extension, recommended certain regulations with traveling cattle that can take multiple days to complete. Even domestic pets, such as cats and dogs, also require a Certified Veterinary Inspection to cross state lines.
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