LINCOLN — An Omaha father said he was “dumbfounded” when his request for transparency about a DHHS tool used in determining funding for families with disabilities led to a nearly $1 million estimate to provide records, with expected completion by September 2076.
DHHS now faces a lawsuit over the estimate.
Curt Safranek on Sept. 23 requested copies of communications between Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services employees and the firm Alvarez & Marsal. DHHS in mid-August tapped the firm to independently review Nebraska’s use of its “interRAI” tool in a no-bid contract. The agency reversed and began a competitive bidding process in late August.
Since July 2025, the tool has helped calculate funding for Nebraska families receiving Home and Community-Based Waivers through Medicaid. Twenty-five other states also use the tool…