Resolution 2024-8 adds a question to the 2024 General Election ballot to “Continue the collection of a 0.5% sales tax with the money generated to be divided as such: 55% to the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital and 45% to the Sabetha Community Hospital.”

The split differential was determined in 2014 by revenue generated in Sabetha and Seneca. The split was reviewed in 2024 according to 2023 revenue data.

Sales tax revenue provides a reliable funding stream for our county’s hospitals and helps ensure that we can continue to provide excellent healthcare services in our county.

No. Because this is a continuation of the sales tax, voting yes will not raise your taxes.

The hospitals receive no other tax dollars or public financial support other than private donations and occasional grants that are awarded through competitive processes.

Sales tax revenue is approximately $600,000 per year for Nemaha Valley Community Hospital and a little more than $500,000 per year for Sabetha Community Hospital.

Although our communities are generous, donor support is generally tied to a specific capital purchase rather than operating funds for our facilities to use as they see fit

The costs of delivering health care have risen in recent years. Workforce costs have increased by a third, and the cost of pharmaceutical supplies has increased by 48%. We’ve also seen a rise in the amount of uncompensated care we provide for patients who are uninsured and unable to pay. Although our hospitals advocate for necessary policy changes to help address these problems in the long run, many of these issues are beyond individual hospitals’ immediate control.

In response to a 2022 Kansas Hospital Association survey, 67% of hospitals indicated they receive public support. Of those, 45% reported receiving mill levies, 27% reported receiving funds from sales tax, and 3% reported funding from a general obligation bond. Of the 90 respondents, 17 facilities reported receiving more than one type of public funding.

Sales tax rates vary. Sales taxes in our county are similar to those in the rest of the region. Within the county, they range from 8% in Axtell, Centralia, Wetmore, Bern, Corning, Goff and Oneida to 9% in Sabetha and Seneca. Rates in other regional cities include Hiawatha, 11%; Marysville, 8.6%; Holton, 8.65%; Frankfort and Onaga, 8.5%; Wamego, 9.25%; Manhattan 9.15% to 9.9%; Topeka, 9.35% to 11.35%. (In some cities, different areas or shopping districts carry special sales taxes, so tax rates differ depending on where the purchase is made in the city.)

Our hospitals have used these funds to update diagnostic technology as well as to fund maintenance agreements and staff training or credentialing so our employees can operate state-of-the-art equipment. Two recent examples of this include the purchase of new electrocardiogram machines to test for heart conditions and Vapotherm units that provide respiratory support to patients. Sales tax funds have also helped purchase ultrasound equipment, a C-arm imaging machine to assist with pain management procedures, arthroscopy equipment for surgery, and more. Hospitals will continue to be good stewards of these funds and will use them to provide nationally recognized quality care. Both Nemaha Valley Community Hospital and Sabetha Community Hospital have been recognized as among the top 100 critical access hospitals in the country by the Chartis Center for Rural Health.

No. Sales tax funds will be used in operating budgets to support services, including purchasing and maintaining equipment and paying for staff training. Building projects are being accomplished through grants, loans, and private donations, and their budgets are separate from everyday operating costs.

Investing in our hospitals has kept Nemaha County near the top of the Kansas County Health Rankings for the last several years. We care for everyone, regardless of their insurance status. Our hospitals also bring new services to our residents as needs evolve. For example, Sabetha Community Hospital has expanded pediatric therapy, and both facilities have expanded specialist clinic offerings, enhanced pre- and post-op testing, provided pre-employment testing of new hires for local employers, and increased telehealth services. Health care is a vital employer in our county, providing approximately 900 jobs and $43 million in labor income based on 2021 data. Ensuring that healthcare services are locally available also keeps sales tax revenue in our county, because people who remain the county for these services are more likely to shop locally.

Our hospitals collaborate to ensure that we are providing the services our county needs, and we refer patients to each other as necessary and seek to avoid duplicating services when possible. For example, NVCH refers patients to SCH’s Home Health & Hospice, and SCH refers patients to NVCH for in-lab sleep studies. Both hospitals provide Level IV trauma care and OB services, including 24-hour C-section coverage. Our hospitals also engage in their communities by providing free health education and presentations to civic and school groups, job shadowing opportunities to students, professional and pre-professional opportunities and organizations for high school students, learning sites for college nursing students, and much more. We host community events such as health fairs with low-cost labs, health-related classes, or flu shot clinics, and we regularly contribute to community initiatives or education in areas such as healthy eating, navigating health insurance, or housing.

Voting for the tax will help ensure that healthcare services are available close to home for residents of our rural county. Availability of health care improves the health of our workforce and assists in recruitment and retention of businesses and young families. It also helps retirees age in place in their communities.

Hospitals could operate without this funding, but they may not be able to provide all the services that Nemaha County citizens have come to rely on. This could cost county citizens time and money because of the need to travel farther to access healthcare services such as diagnostic testing, specialist clinics, surgical care, rehabilitation, pediatric therapy, hospice care and more.

The tax will sunset on June 30, 2025, and sales tax rates in the county will decrease by 0.5%. Hospitals will lose an important funding stream and will need to consider budget cuts that could jeopardize certain services.