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Machaela Cavanaugh

Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh

District 6

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District 6 Contact Information
February 5th, 2025

February Hearing Notice
February 5th, 2025

1/23/25 Newsletter
January 23rd, 2025

LB 13 Hearing Notice
January 16th, 2025

LB 13, which would change the Child Care Subsidy Program from one based on attendance to one based on enrollment, is scheduled for a hearing before the HHS Committee next Wednesday, January 22nd at 1:30pm in Room 1510 of the State Capitol. If you cannot testify but would like to submit an online comment, you can do so here.

 

What is Happening?

Since March 2020, federal law has generally required states to keep most people with Medicaid enrolled in coverage regardless of changes – like a change in income – due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal law recently changed, and now, enrollees who no longer qualify for Medicaid or who do not complete their renewal may be terminated from coverage.

 

An estimated 40,000-80,000 Nebraska Medicaid enrollees will no longer be eligible and will be terminated from coverage, and the first possible terminations started in April 2023. Many others may not be aware that renewals are restarting, and failure to complete renewal paperwork or requests for information may lead to termination of coverage. DHHS has identified at least 145,000 Nebraskans that may be at risk of losing their coverage – this highlights that many more Nebraskans may be at risk of losing their coverage, even if they are still eligible for Medicaid.

 

Renewals Have Restarted

In March 2023, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) started evaluating whether Medicaid enrollees are eligible to continue to receive Medicaid coverage. DHHS is generally required to complete a full renewal of a Medicaid enrollee’s case before terminating Medicaid coverage. During this process, DHHS will be sending notices to current Medicaid enrollees and may be requesting information or explaining changes in coverage.

 

What Should Medicaid Enrollees Do?

  1. Update Contact Information with DHHS Now

    1. Online at ACCESSNebraska.ne.gov

    2. By Phone at (855) 632-7633

    3. By Email at DHHS.ANDICenter@nebraska.gov

    4. By Fax at (402) 742-2351

  2. Check Mail/Email and Watch for Communications from DHHS

  3. Complete Verification Requests and/or Medicaid Renewal Forms on time

  4. Contact Nebraska Appleseed with any issues or for further assistance at neappleseed.org/gethelp.

 

Resources Available

    • The Nebraska Homeowner Assistance Fund (NHAF) has added assistance for past-due utilities and internet services, future payments for those with a deferred balance on their primary mortgage, and increased assistance for qualified homeowners from $30,000 to $40,000.
    • The program continues to assist with past-due mortgage payments, past-due real estate taxes, past-due homeowner association dues, past-due homeowners or flood insurance, and clearing liens from a homeowner’s property.
  • The Nebraska Homeowner Assistance Fund (NHAF) provides relief to pandemic-impacted homeowners that have experienced a COVID-19 related financial hardship that began or continued after January 21, 2020
  • Income limits apply
  • Learn more at NebraskaHAF.com 

 

Arbor Lodge Outing

 

Please follow the link to see their flyer.

The current care gap that excludes families that include children with severe disabilities has led to Nebraska having the 5th highest cost of services in the nation. We end up paying for the most expensive services.  This waiver will help us bring down the average cost of services from $63,000 per individual to a $12,000 cap.  It may look like new money but really this is just changing where we would spend the money — from emergency services that cost us on average over $130,000 per individual per year to ensuring these children get the proper early and preventative services in their home instead of in an emergency room.

I believe these changes will decrease the number of children currently on the waiting list for home and community-based services. It will also provide support to family caregivers, allowing them to remain in the workforce. Remaining in the workforce means the family and the state can benefit from the family caregivers’ private health insurance as a first payer, thereby lessening the demand on Medicaid. 

I introduced the bill last year. On general file, or first round of debate, the bill had good support. On select file, even though it was a committee priority bill and was already calculated into the budget, the bill was filibustered and failed to advance. This year, I gave the bill my personal priority to get it back on the agenda. After some negotiation and an amendment, LB 376 has advanced to final reading.

LB 251 and LB 1082 both expand opportunities for organ donation. Marigold is a young lady who is actively supporting the bills. In this photo, Ms. Helvey and Senator Machaela Cavanaugh share a few moments in the Capitol.

Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh

District 6
Room 1115
P.O. Box 94604
Lincoln, NE 68509
(402) 471-2714
Email: mcavanaugh@leg.ne.gov
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