As 2026 fast approaches and hospital and health systems brace for financial unpredictability, Lawrence, Kan.-based LMH Health is zeroing in on one unknown occupying many leaders’ minds: the future of ACA subsidies.
“It’s hard to know exactly where that’s all going to end up,” Rob Chestnut, senior vice president and CFO of LMH Health said during a Becker’s CFO+Revenue Cycle Podcast episode. “We do have some exchange patients in our market, and we really won’t know until their first encounters in 2026 if they’ve changed insurance, if they now are not going to have any insurance. That’s probably the largest one. We do have a pretty robust financial counseling group here at the hospital, so … we try to be proactive in that.”
Mr. Chestnut said the 174-bed community hospital has leaned heavily on its financial counseling group to tackle any potential disruptions head-on.
He said LMH Health feels the responsibility to act as a primary resource for patients navigating coverage changes, whether related to Medicare Advantage or Kansas’ Medicaid eligibility updates that will require beneficiaries to requalify twice annually.
“We feel the obligation to be the primary source of information [for patients] to navigate the new world we’re in regarding different changes in legislation, because it is unique,” he said.
That dedication also involves building a resilient finance team that is highly knowledgeable and serves as subject-matter experts on coding, reimbursement and payer negotiations. It also means keeping the team grounded in LMH Health’s mission.
Looking ahead, Mr. Chestnut said he expects 2026 to be shaped by continued shifts in coverage, persistent labor challenges and strategic positioning in a competitive regional market.
“It takes a village,” he said. “It’s easy to get trapped in the numbers and to become siloed into the issues that you’re having as a department related to the rest of the ecosystem in healthcare, but we all have to take a step back and realize why we are doing what we are doing,” he said.
