KETV
March 19, 2009

OMAHA, Neb. -- A report obtained by KETV NewsWatch 7 has shown that the number of Nebraska employers with workers on Medicaid has jumped 300 percent to 484.

That's 337 more than four years ago, when 147 employers reported that they each had at least 25 workers depending on the state for health care.

Sen. Jeremy Nordquist said the taxpayers can't sustain the current numbers.

Nordquist said the state has to work with the business community to find out how more private sector health insurance can be found. He suggested it would be cheaper for Nebraska to offer companies incentives to provide health insurance than for the state to provide that coverage.