LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – For many rural hospitals in Nebraska, the challenge isn’t just providing care; it’s staying open.

They said at a press conference Tuesday that they’re facing a financial crisis and struggling to meet the needs of their communities.

In rural Nebraska, a single hospital is often the only source of care for miles.

But they are facing a tough battle as they deal with a shortage of funds.

SEE ALSO: ‘It will save lives’: As rural Nebraska hospitals struggle, one gets a boost

They said large urban hospitals such as the University of Nebraska Medical Center receive higher reimbursement rates from insurance and government programs, while smaller rural hospitals are left to scramble for resources.

“We need to make sure that reimbursement models are fair, and they bring dollars to the table for the services that we do have,” said Arlan Johnson, CEO of Howard County Medical Center.

Sen. Brian Hardin said as health care costs rise, the financial gap only widens.

“In 2023, the average retail value of a Tier 4 drug in America was $257,000 for the year,” he said. “Who can afford that? Short answer, no one.”

He wants to make sure rural hospitals can participate in the 340B program, which allows them to purchase drugs at a discount.

“In order to give top-notch care and provide extra services in the community we have, we have to ensure that Medicaid and 340B programs are protected,” said Laura Gamble, CEO of Pender Community Hospital.

SEE ALSO: Nearly 60% of rural Nebraska hospitals losing money on operations, officials report

Health officials said if rural hospitals don’t get higher reimbursement, some will have to close.

For families living in remote areas, those closures mean longer drives to receive basic care and, sometimes, delayed treatment.

State leaders are aware of the challenges and said it’s one of their top priorities this upcoming legislative session.

But the solutions are far from simple.

Sen. Mike Jacobsen of North Platte said this upcoming year, he plans to work with the Nebraska Medical Association to work on a bill that would allow higher reimbursement for doctors and other practitioners.

Hardin said Congress needs to step up and remodel 340B.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA) and the Nebraska Rural Health Association (NeRHA) will provide an overview of the 2025-26 Roadmap to Strong Rural Health Care during a press conference on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

The NHA and NeRHA will be joined by Nebraska hospital leaders and state senators to highlight state and federal issues important to the future of rural health care in the state.

You can watch the news conference when it begins in the video player above.

Rural hospitals make up about 35 percent of all hospitals nationally, and over 68 percent of hospitals in Nebraska, according to a joint press release from NHA and NeRHA. More than 41 percent of those are at risk of closure.

In addition, Nebraska has more rural residents living at least 25 minutes away from an ambulance than all but two other states. About 16 percent of Nebraska mothers must travel at least 30 minutes to find a maternal care provider, about twice the national rate, and more than half of Nebraska’s counties are considered maternity deserts.

NHA and NeRHA said 85 of Nebraska’s rural communities are considered medically underserved areas for primary care services alone. Projections show that Nebraska will experience a workforce shortage of over 5,000 nurses in 2025.

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LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – This Wednesday, Nebraska’s 49 lawmakers will flock to the Nebraska State Capitol to begin the 2025 Legislative Session.

It falls to them to build a biennial budget proposal for the next two years, but already, projections show a roughly $400 million deficit that they need to close.

“We are mandated to pass a balanced budget in the state of Nebraska by the Constitution,” State Sen. Tom Brandt said. “It is going to happen. Will there be pain and suffering? I’m sure, but it will happen on the part of the Legislature.”

Many lawmakers say that means it won’t be a year for bold spending ideas. Instead, they’ll be looking for places to tighten the belt.

“I think working together we’ll be able to mitigate deep cuts on critical human services and key priorities like education,” State Sen. Danielle Conrad said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to also kind of chart a path together that keeps us on the right path and away from devolving into a divisive session.”

One big difference between this year and last year is time. 2024 was more of a sprint, just 60 days of legislative action. This year, it’s 90 days, dragging lawmakers to the beginning of June and giving them plenty of time to hammer out compromises—so long as there’s an appetite.

And more than a dozen new senators will be sworn in on Wednesday, which some more veteran lawmakers see as a boon.

“My last two years in the legislature have been marked by a lot of tumultuous fights, a lot of culture war issues, things like that,” State Sen. George Dungan, said. “With the new crop of people coming in, I think it gives us an opportunity to kind of hit that reset button and really have a conversation with each about why are we here.”

Every senator 10/11 NOW spoke with on Monday emphasized property taxes, though their approaches varied between targeted relief and more general cuts funded by sales taxes.

Many said they’re greeting the session with hopefulness.

“I think we’ve got an opportunity to make some big changes this year and really dive deep into some of those property tax issues that we spoke about this summer,” State Sen. Carolyn Bosn said.

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