Release: New National Poll Reaffirms America’s Seniors Overwhelmingly Support Medicare Advantage

New National Poll Reaffirms America’s Seniors Overwhelmingly Support Medicare Advantage

82 percent also believe proposed cuts to the program will harm their financial well-being

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Medicare Advantage Majority (MAM) today released new national polling data, confirming the powerful consensus that America’s seniors want Congress to protect the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. The public opinion survey underscores MA’s profound importance to aging Americans and reveals overwhelming opposition to any effort that would reduce its funding.

MAM’s public opinion survey, fielded in March 2025, polled 1,000 US senior likely voters and consumers nationwide. Topline findings from respondents include:

  • A significant majority of seniors (82%) believe cuts to Medicare Advantage will have a negative impact on their financial well-being.
  • A large majority (71%) across parties want Congress to oppose cutting funding for Medicare Advantage, and 69% are less likely to vote for a member who supports cuts.
  • Nearly all (93%) believe it is important to have a variety of Medicare plan options to meet their health needs.
  • A vast majority (83%) believe the additional benefits provided by MA plans are important to their family members.
  • A majority believe the federal government should increase funding (53%) for MA – not cut it (7%).

“Medicare Advantage keeps proving to be the preferred choice for the majority of seniors across the country and particularly among lower income seniors,” said MAM spokesperson Darren Grubb. “This latest survey makes it crystal clear that seniors are fed up with past cuts to the program and expect Congress to protect the benefits they depend on. Any proposed cuts aren’t just numbers, they have real-life consequences like higher costs, fewer benefits, and less access to trusted doctors.”

Medicare Advantage is a public-private partnership that provides health care to more than 34 million seniors and people with disabilities in the United States. Today, it is the preferred choice for over half (53%) of all Medicare beneficiaries. Unlike traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage offers a more integrated, affordable, and personalized approach to care, often including extra benefits like dental, vision, hearing, and wellness programs. “With a majority of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries living on less than $25,000 annually, they are depending on their elected leaders to stand up and protect the care they count on – and expect them to do so in the weeks and months ahead,” Grubb said.

Medicare Advantage Majority’s nationwide survey amplifies a united front of seniors who oppose any proposed cuts to the program, even as some in Congress are seeking to cut MA benefits. The new national polling data can be found here and follows a survey conducted in October 2024 that further emphasizes the program’s value for seniors and taxpayers.

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About Medicare Advantage Majority (MAM)

Medicare Advantage Majority (MAM) is a 501(c)4 organization dedicated to protecting and strengthening the Medicare Advantage program for 34 million American seniors and people with disabilities – more than half of all eligible Medicare beneficiaries – who depend on it. MAM is powered by the support of local advocates across the country, including beneficiaries, caregivers, health care providers and community leaders.

Attorney General Jackley Warns Consumers About Sales Tactics Used by Some Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Companies

Attorney General Jackley Warns Consumers About Sales Tactics Used by Some Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Companies

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley warns consumers that some over-the-counter hearing aid companies are using misleading sales tactics when reaching out to the public.

“Consumers should only have their hearing tested by a qualified audiologist or hearing instrument specialist,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Over-the-counter, direct-to-consumer, hearing aids are not regulated by the FDA.”

May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, and consumers, especially senior citizens, are encouraged to have their hearing tested by a qualified specialist. Hearing loss leads to many co-morbidities, including cognitive decline, falls, depression, cardiovascular issues, and an increased risk of dementia.

Attorney General Jackley’s Consumer Protection Division offers these consumer safety tips when dealing with these companies or others offering a service.

  1. Research the company first before you purchase the product. Be skeptical of online reviews and endorsements.
  2. Know your cancellation and refund rights. Pay attention to the timeframes and conditions for returns and refunds.
  3. Only a hearing screening and opinion from a hearing professional can tell you what type of hearing device will work best for you.
  4. Talk to your physician.
  5. Have a family member help you when making such a selection.
  6. Finally, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is!

Consumers who believe they have been a victim of a scam resulting from such a transaction should contact the Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or at https://consumer.sd.gov/, You may be helping someone else out by reporting what you’ve encountered.

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The Minnehaha County GOP internal saga continues as they continue to bicker as accused “leftists” & “former Democrat” calls the other side “communists”

A little history on myself that some might not be aware of.

My mom had an auction business which operated for a decade, close to two decades in Pierre. I am actually a trained auctioneer (via the World Wide College of Auctioneering in Mason City Iowa). And while I was not going to attempt to call a cattle sale, at my most practiced I could hold my own calling a personal property sale just fine.

So, the point is that in the days before eBay and all the on-line sales, we used to do a lot of retirement sales where people retiring to town would sell out their stuff, and we would help them dispose of it.  And I remember one sale where a couple of the adult kids back by the cashier literally got in a fight over who was going to get the proceeds from “mom’s sale.” The problem was, mom wasn’t dead.

They got into an actual shoving match while standing over their elderly mom who was seated in her wheelchair. It was literally the height of trashiness.

I bring it up, as the Minnehaha GOP members are looking more and more like this trashy family fighting over control of mom’s money as they stand over mom herself, as the bickering continues and escalates over who controls the Minnehaha County Republican Party.  Never mind that 99.95% or more of the nearly 60,000 registered Republicans in Minnehaha County could care less, and think they all look silly and trashy.

Here’s more of the train wreck that is the Republican Party organization representing our state’s largest county:

Here’s all the attachments being referenced…

So, we have someone from one faction calling out the former vice-chair Jennifer Foss as a “former Democrat,” and we have the awful former vice-chair Jennifer Foss calling out the current board members’ behavior as “communism.”

For the good of the cause – which is supposed to be about trying to get Republicans elected.. maybe they all need to actually concern themselves with that. Getting Republicans elected.

Instead of spending their time being concerned about their own egos.

Toby Doeden campaign appears to be off and rolling, as new staffer from California claims to be reaching out to legislators on his behalf.

Hot off the press.. Apparently 4% Toby Doeden may have hired people to help him run for Governor, at least, according to one kid identifying himself as “Grant Santos.” Young Mr. Santos claims he’s working for the Doeden campaign, and is now sending out text messages to legislators to ask them to talk with them about who they would be supporting for Governor.

Interesting. If he’s working for Toby, young Mr. Santos may want to consider changing his profile picture where he’s proudly standing side by side with Governor Rhoden:

And really.. From California?

We already need to get rid of “California” Carley.  Someone should tell Toby not to put any more California into our South Dakota political races!

Attorney General Jackley Warns Consumers Again Of Toll Road Text Message Scam

(Good advice – I’ve gotten this text twice this week! – pp)

Attorney General Jackley Warns Consumers Again Of Toll Road Text Message Scam

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley warns consumers that a familiar text message scam, where people are ordered to pay a tax for traveling on South Dakota’s roads and bridges, has been reported again in the state.

“The Toll Road Text Message scam preys on a person’s honesty,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Several citizens have been scammed into sending money after being threatened with fines or other penalties for not paying an overdue, phony toll.”

Scam toll road text messages have been reported statewide this week. Attorney General Jackley’s Consumer Protection Division said the toll road text message, first seen in South Dakota earlier this year, does not say what state the toll is from, and the amount is not displayed until the consumer opens the link.

South Dakota’s Department of Transportation, on its website, reminds the public that all South Dakota state-owned roads and bridges are toll free.

The Consumer Protection Division also offers these other tips to consumers:

  • *** Question why an unfamiliar text message has your number.
  • *** Do not click onto suspicious links or accept downloads.
  • *** Do not give into high pressured tactics to resolve “the issue.” Stop, take a moment, and review all information.
  • *** Find the official number of the agency that supposedly messaged you and call to confirm the information.
  • *** Don’t provide money or personal information via telephone or internet to an individual or organization that you don’t know or haven’t verified.
  • *** Be wary of any caller who tells you not to tell anyone else about the call.
  • *** Talk to someone you trust before you provide money or personal information to someone who contacts you.

Consumers who believe they may have been a victim of this, or any other scam should contact the Attorney General’s Office’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-300-1986 or at https://consumer.sd.gov/, You may be helping someone else out by reporting what you’ve encountered.

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Don’t forget 4% Toby’s campaign against the prison project moving forward.

In addition to House Leadership forcing a prison construction project do-over after $50 million had already been spent on the Lincoln County site, there’s another pressure campaign that should come to mind.

It isn’t just Pepperidge Farms that remembers, but so does former State Senator Erin Tobin:

and in case you can’t recall what Erin remembers, here’s just a couple of the facebook posts documenting what the man with a basketball court in his house & who flies a jet between Aberdeen and Pierre was complaining about being luxurious prison overspending by the state:

How far back was Doeden and his PAC actively campaigning with that line of thinking?

That seemed like… about A BILLION dollars ago..

Remember when House Leadership blew up the prison project already in process, costing South Dakota taxpayers another BILLION?

In case you saw the headlines today…

“The potential construction costs of these recommendations (not including the demolition of SDSP) are expected to be between $1.9 to $2.1 billion,” according to the report, which calls for building up to three different prison complexes over the next decade, putting the blame squarely on the state’s incarceration rates.

Read that here.

Don’t forget what happened the last legislative session, and who spearheaded the death of that bill:

A legislative maneuver meant to secure funding and continue discussion on an $825 million men’s prison failed by two votes Friday in the South Dakota House of Representatives.

The vote on House Bill 1025 was 34-35, with one member absent and a majority of 36 votes required for passage. The House could vote on whether to reopen debate when lawmakers return to Pierre next week.

The vote throws the future of the massive prison project into question, and could chart a path to easing some of the state’s financial strain in a year where lawmakers are pondering cuts and swatting back funding requests.

and..

Lems was the first to speak against the amended version of the bill. She rattled off questions about the prison’s rural location and a pending lawsuit over that location, unknown costs for roads and ongoing operations, and on a price tag she sees as too high.

and..

House Speaker Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, said some of the unspent prison money could ultimately be placed into the prison fund, where it earns interest.

Read that all here.

As opposed to getting a darn prison built with the plan already in motion, House leadership and their allies killed moving the project forward. Aaanndd… now we find out that because of the delays and fooling around, it’s likely going to cost taxpayers another billion… with a B.

Weren’t some of them complaining that it was somehow “a ritz-carlton” prison?  I know Logan Manhart parroted that line. Well, come to find out it was more of a Motel 6 prison, and they’ve caused the cost to double.

State Representative Taylor Rehfeldt, who pushed for the funding to move forward this past winter session was very prescient:

Republican Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt, who requested the reconsideration, said questions have been answered. She said it’s “very clear” South Dakota needs a new prison. She said it “absolutely” will be expensive at $825 million and said it “probably” would be more if delayed, regardless where the location is.

The guaranteed maximum price expires on March 31.

Read that here.

And we let that locked in maximum blow away with the South Dakota wind less than 60 days ago.

Don’t like the new predicted cost? You can thank House Leadership for the cost doubling. Thanks guys!

Release: Project Prison Reset Task Force Shares Consultant Report

Project Prison Reset Task Force Shares Consultant Report

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, the Project Prison Reset task force shared the completed consultant report by Arrington Watkins. You can find the consultant report here.

“This new third-party report confirms what our task force concluded: that the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls has reached the end of its useful life,” said Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen, who chairs the task force. “The report also found that our system is overcrowded and requires a new facility and, absent changes in law, we can expect this problem to get even worse over time.”

Arrington Watkins’ report specifically analyzed the state of our current system, including the South Dakota State Penitentiary, the Jameson Prison Annex, and the Sioux Falls Minimum Center. The consultant will evaluate potential sites for a new prison in the second phase.

The task force was announced by Governor Larry Rhoden in February. You can find information about past Project Prison Reset meetings here.

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