Omaha father sues DHHS over $1m records-request estimate

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 18:32 · Archive

An Omaha father is suing Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services after it estimated nearly $1 million to process his public records request.

Curt Safranek requested copies of communications between Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services employees and the consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal on September 23. DHHS had hired Alvarez & Marsal in mid-August to independently review Nebraska's use of the 'interRAI' tool, which since July 2025 has helped calculate funding for families receiving Home and Community-Based Waivers through Medicaid. Twenty-five other states also use the tool.

DHHS estimated the cost of compiling the requested records at $976,263.77, with an expected completion date of September 29, 2076. The agency said the request would require 26,017.5 hours of total work from three employees. Under state law, the first eight hours of any public records request are free. The estimate breaks down to 650.4 work weeks if each employee worked 40 hours weekly, or 12.5 years if they worked 24 hours a day without breaks. By 2076, Safranek would be 105 years old.

Safranek said he was 'dumbfounded' by the estimate. DHHS declined to comment on the pending lawsuit.

How it is being reported

• Omaha father suing DHHS after records-request estimate of nearly $1M, 2076 deadlineAn 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 2076.1011Now · 20 Oct, 18:01
• Omaha father suing DHHS after records-request estimate of nearly $1M, 2076 deadlineAn 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.WOWT · 20 Oct, 18:01

In this story: Curt Safranek · Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services · Alvarez & Marsal · Omaha · Nebraska

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