Legislative audit examines ease of applying for DHHS benefits

Most Nebraskans applying for Medicaid and economic assistance are using the state’s online system, but those applying by phone sometimes face significant wait times, according to a new audit.

In the last five years, the percentage of people applying for benefits online grew from 44% to 77%, the Legislative Audit Office said. The report found the new online system, iServe Nebraska, cost $50 million, less than the $105 million budgeted, and did not note any problems with it. But it said wait times for people applying for benefits other than Medicaid by phone rose from six minutes in March 2024 to 27 minutes by August before dipping under 20 minutes by year’s end. The Department of Health and Human Services attributed that in part to shifting emphasis to completing work on one call before taking another.

The report says Medicaid enrollment increased from about 240,000 in 2019 to more than 340,000 in 2024, while the enrollment in SNAP, or food stamps, declined slightly, from 159,000 to 155,000.