Nebraska’s hospitals are facing challenging headwinds and uncertain futures with costs increasing, residents losing coverage through Medicaid and commercial insurance policy changes, and continuous administrative and regulatory burdens.
On Monday the Nebraska Hospital Association joined hospital leaders to give an overview of the state of health care in the state. NHA President Jeremy Nordquist says in a December 2025 survey of NHA members, 55 percent described their 2025 fiscal year financial conditions as challenging or very challenging and 32 percent ran a negative operating margin in the last quarter.
He says the less revenue they receive from providing care, both from federal and private payers, the more likely they will be forced to make cuts. “Every Nebraskan deserves access to lifesaving care close to home,” Nordquist says.
“To meet this mark, we must not allow policy changes and budget cuts that further jeopardize the well-being of our hospitals, and we must use the opportunity from the Rural Health Transformation Program to make well-informed investments that strengthen rural hospitals for years to come,” Nordquist says.
Anthony Ashby is President of CHI Health Immanuel in Omaha and focused on the impact of Medicaid coverage losses, expired Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, and rising insurance premiums. In July 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 1, a tax and spending package that cut nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding.
Now that Enhanced Premium Tax Credits have expired, it is expected that at least 23,000 Nebraskans will become uninsured while tens of thousands more facing skyrocketing premiums. “Nebraska families are already facing historically high prices on essentials like groceries and housing and finding it more difficult to make ends meet,” Ashby says.
“Increasing the cost of health insurance or losing their coverage completely is the last thing they need, as it could be the final blow that prevents them from affording essential doctor visits and preventive care and lands them in the emergency room.”