Governor holding firm against expanding Medicaid to able-bodied adults.

In the Argus Leader this morning, Governor Dennis Daugaard’s opposition to the expansion of Medicaid is discussed.

Governor Daugaard says things are stuck at the moment, with taxpayers aren’t ready to expand Medicaid to all 48,000 uncovered at this time with many of them being able-bodied adults, and the federal government unwilling to compromise to allow South Dakota to cover a portion of them:

Expanding Medicaid as prescribed under the Affordable Care Act would eventually cost the state an extra $36 million a year. In contrast, he said, the state this year is only seeing an increase in revenues of $49 million, which is money the state needs to increase funding to education and other programs.

Still, Daugaard said he understands there is need among the poorest adults for expanded medical coverage under Medicaid.

“I’m open to considering their lot,” he said. “But the president has said it’s all or nothing. And 48,000 people is too big of a bite, in my estimation.”

Read it all here in the Argus Leader.

8 thoughts on “Governor holding firm against expanding Medicaid to able-bodied adults.”

  1. I applaud the Governor and support his firm stance. Education, public safety, and infrastructure should be a priority for state government. You don’t have to be an economist to figure out that without expanding the revenue source those priorities will be short changed if SD expands Medicaid. The argument that infusion of millions of Federal dollars will stimulate the economy is not based in sound economic principles and only benefits a few tax exempt entities. Fact is that most of the states that expanded Medicaid were forced to make deep cuts in other areas and raise taxes to balance their budgets. Is that the direction we want for SD? Thanks Governor for your leadership and representing the interests all South Dakotans not just those with a self-serving agenda.

    1. It’s just too bad that the Governor made absolutely no mention of education in the state of the state.

      How can healthcare not be on your list of priorities? It’s completely tied in to public safety.

      1. I did not say healthcare was not on my priority list however my list and the SD’s list may not be the same. And I do not accept your argument that healthcare spending should be considered in the same tier as education, public safety, or infrastructure. Our public servants need to make financial decisions based on facts not perceptions. There is no factual data to substantiate that 48,000 S. Dakotans do not have access to healthcare. Can we provide care in a more cost efficient way? Yes…But propping up the old system with money will not solve the problem.

  2. this is the dark side of the whole stimulus push in this country since fall 2008. there are numerous strings attached to all federal help, all designed to ‘fundamentally transform’ state budgeting to leverage the weight of healthcare demands off the federal back on onto theirs. that state leaders smell the ruse is good for us.

    1. the leaders who smell the ruse are invariably called idiots in an effort to alinskyize a freeze-isolate-attack gambit to get the leader to change positions to the socialist one.

  3. So sad, even Republicans are disappointed with him. Especially after such a dismal state of the state address that never addressed the two most important issues citizens face: Education and healthcare. Crying shame.

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