Bill to add nurse anesthetists to student loan program advanced

Lawmakers gave first-round approval Feb. 27 to a bill aimed at helping alleviate a shortage of health professionals in Nebraska.

LB312, sponsored by Sidney Sen. Paul Strommen, would add nurse anesthetists to the list of health professions that qualify for the Rural Health Systems and Professional Incentive Act. The act requires participants to practice in a designated health profession shortage area in Nebraska for three years to qualify for the incentive.

Under the bill, a newly eligible nurse anesthetist could receive repayment for qualified educational debts up to $15,000 annually for three years.

Strommen said the average student loan debt for nurse anesthetists is $150,000. While the bill won’t solve that problem, he said, it might be enough of an incentive to help keep rural critical access hospitals open so that Nebraskans can receive the health care they need locally.

“The act was put in place to incentivize health professionals upon graduation from their respective degree programs to go work in a designated health profession shortage area, which is essentially every county in Nebraska outside of the metro areas,” Strommen said.

Omaha Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh supported the proposal, saying expanding the student loan program could help struggling communities recruit health care professionals.

“We have a health care crisis across the state, but especially in our rural areas, so expanding who is eligible for these incentives is … a really great idea,” Cavanaugh said.

Senators voted 43-0 to advance the bill to select file.