The Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA), the policy and advocacy arm of the state’s hospital industry, released their 2024 “Community Impact Report” on Wednesday.
The association projects a total “impact” figure of $19.3 billion. This number represents the overall contribution of hospitals to Nebraska’s economy, including direct spending, employment, and the ripple effects on other industries. Of that number, payment for services rendered in the form of employee wages and benefits accounts for $5 billion — standard operating costs that, while significant, are also revenue-generating expenses for the hospitals themselves.
NHA’s report says hospitals directly create 54,212 jobs, “and each one of those jobs supported at least one additional job in the broader community, resulting in a total of 108,793 jobs.” During a virtual news conference, NHA President and former state Senator Jeremy Nordquist listed healthcare as the state’s largest employer, and the #1 employer in 1/3 of Nebraska’s 93 counties.
However, according to a Workforce Trends report from the Nebraska Department of Labor in fall 2024 , the manufacturing industry is the state’s largest employer at 104,419 people.
The trade association lists about $1.7 billion ($1,697,267,977 exactly) in community benefit programs provided by hospitals, including uncompensated care and bad debt. Although just over $1.67 billion ($1,671,961,255) is explained through specific categories. The remaining $25,306,722 is not explained. Below is the breakdown provided by NHA:
TOTAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS – $1,697,267,977
- UNCOMPENSATED CARE & CHARITY CARE (includes the costs of charity care and the financial shortfalls from government programs like Medicare and Medicaid) – $1,132,693,343
- CASH & IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS (direct financial contributions, donations, and grants made by hospitals to community organizations and initiatives) – $324,511,050
- HEALTH PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (total amount hospitals spent on the education of health professionals in Nebraska) – $108,244,711
- TOTAL SUBSIDIZED HEALTH SERVICES (includes the costs of providing essential clinical services that are subsidized by hospitals, often at a financial loss) – $57,034,506
- COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPROVEMENT SERVICES (investments in programs that address the Social Determinants of Health, such as access to healthy food and safe housing, as well as preventive care) – $23,138,991
- BAD DEBT (amount of money that hospitals are unable to collect from patients for services rendered) – $22,911,391
- COMMUNITY BUILDING ACTIVITIES – $3,427,263
NHA participation consists of 71 hospitals and groups across the state. Four in Lincoln: Bryan Medical Center, CHI Health Nebraska Heart, CHI Health St. Elizabeth, and Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals.
View the full report from NHA below.