The following guest editorial ran in the North Platte Telegraph on July 19, 2025. You can also read it here.
Pillen: Going to bat for health care in Nebraska
North Platte Telegraph
July 19, 2025
In Nebraska, serving our communities and helping those in need are not just traditions — they are foundational values, passed down from generation to generation.
Few embody these Nebraska values more than our doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals. Across our great state, we receive amazing care from those who dedicate their careers to helping us during life’s ups and downs.
They do a lot for us, so we’re going to bat for them — in a transformational way. Recently, President Trump’s Administration approved our plan to enable Nebraska to receive a federal financial award that will allow for nearly a $1 billion increase in annual net revenue for our hospitals.
This marks a new era for health care in our state — one that will strengthen hospitals, support our workforce and help all Nebraskans get the care they need, when they need it.
In partnership with state Sen. Mike Jacobson, we spearheaded an effort in 2024 to support the people of our state and our hospital system — in both rural and urban parts of Nebraska. Through LB 1087, the Hospital Quality Assurance and Access Assessment Act was established, with a vision of setting the state up with a funding mechanism that allows us to tap into additional federal dollars.
For years, Nebraska inexplicably left this money on the table while nearly 45 other states took advantage of similar plans. Our state, for various reasons — whether politics, bureaucracy, or ideology — passed on these investments. Now, we’re taking this opportunity to stand up for the interests of the Cornhusker State and ensure that federal resources directly benefit our communities.
It took effort to build a bipartisan coalition of senators and stakeholders, including state medical leaders, to get it signed into law — followed by months of work with federal leaders to secure final approval. Throughout the process, Sen. Jacobson proved to be a great teammate. He is a leader, and his work in the Legislature is making a huge difference for the people of his district — and our state.
Our plan is more than just a big number; it’s a practical, difference-making dose of funding that is expected to help every hospital and ultimately every Nebraskan who receives care, allowing us to do more to address some of the biggest issues facing our state:
- Expanding access so Nebraskans can get the care they deserve and depend on.
- Putting our kids first by investing in our hospitals and state so young Nebraskans know they have a top-notch future right here at home
- Strengthening rural hospitals to keep communities strong and poised for growth
- Investing in mental health care and making sure Nebraskans can get the support they need
- Creating more jobs, attracting new talent to our state and increasing workforce development opportunities for nurses and other in-demand careers.
Too often legislation gets put forward that is well-intentioned, but it doesn’t really change outcomes for Nebraskans. With the results of LB 1087, we know we’re making a tangible, positive impact — bettering the lives of our people and improving hospital, health and nursing care in our state.
We will benefit from this investment for years to come. More than ever before, the state of Nebraska is thinking ahead and making a commitment to the health of all its people. This is a landmark victory for our community hospitals — and an especially big win for every family that calls Nebraska home.
