Some South Dakota leaders urge the governor to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Community health professionals, college students, and assistance providers say expanding medical coverage to the working poor helps individuals and communities.
University of South Dakota social work graduate student Heather Bailey says the Medicaid expansion discussion is muddied, and that’s leaving people with misinformation. She says South Dakotans may think the issue is over because the state legislature wrapped its session without acting on it, but she says Governor Dennis Daugaard has the authority to expand Medicaid on his own.
Medicaid expansion as outlined in the Affordable Care Act includes allowing people who earn up to 138 percent of poverty on the Medicaid rolls.
"A lot of these people actually are working, and a lot of people are not aware of that as well. Either their employers don’t offer the insurance or they can’t afford the health care insurance for their employer – also can’t afford it on the exchange, but don’t qualify for Medicaid," Bailey says.
Bailey says caregivers are also more likely to be uninsured, because some people have to give up full-time work – and health insurance coverage – to dedicate their time to sick family members. She also notes people with physical or mental disabilities don’t necessarily have a health care option, either.
In response to news of the letter, Governor Dennis Daugaard’s office responded with a statement. It says, "The Governor and legislative leaders asked the Obama Administration to consider a flexible approach to Medicaid expansion, and unfortunately the Obama Administration is not willing to discuss that approach."