The issue of Medicaid expansion is one of the top issues for some state lawmakers. Republican leaders say it doesn’t make fiscal sense to expand the program in South Dakota, but some including the governor, say they could support some changes. Governor Dennis Daugaard is seeking federal approval for partial Medicaid expansion. Democratic State Representative Julie Bartling says South Dakota benefits from an expansion, and the move could improve women’s health.
"We do believe that through expansion, this will give women; provide women with the means to have a healthy lifestyle. They’re working part time jobs, sometimes two part jobs. So it’s really important that women be healthy because they are sometimes, often the bread winners in their families," Representative Bartling says.
Bartling says she’s not letting the issue of Medicaid expansion go. Opponents to the health care program expansion say the state legislature should wait for a response from the federal government before making any changes to Medicaid.
