Lowering Health Care Costs
By Sen. John Thune
Whether it’s a trip to the pharmacy or a hospital stay, accessing health care can be complicated and costly. And that is especially true for rural South Dakota, where even getting to a health care provider can be challenging. Republicans are committed to making health care more affordable and accessible, which is why we’ve taken up a number of measures to lower costs and increase access to care, especially in rural communities.
Republicans kicked off this year by taking concrete action to drive down costs at the pharmacy counter, which complements efforts by the Trump administration to lower the cost of prescriptions. We passed a new law removing incentives for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to promote higher-priced medications and to ensure that if a PBM gets a discount or rebate from a drugmaker, those savings are incorporated into the health plans that Americans rely on. These reforms not only benefit patients, they protect South Dakota’s independent and community pharmacies by providing greater transparency, standardizing contract terms, and prohibiting PBMs from charging health plans more for a prescription drug than they reimburse the pharmacy.
We’ve also taken action to support access to health care at home. In the same bill, we extended telehealth waivers that are a critical lifeline for patients living far from health care providers, and we made it easier for patients to get in-home care, including by supporting family members who act as caregivers.
In our Working Families Tax Cuts legislation, Republicans made a generational investment in rural health care. The Rural Health Transformation Program gives states the resources and freedom to find solutions to their individual rural health challenges and to find sustainable ways of ensuring access to health care in rural communities going forward. South Dakota is receiving a significant amount of funding through this program, which will go toward a number of priorities, from strengthening the rural health care workforce to bolstering maternal care and emergency services in rural South Dakota.
The Working Families Tax Cuts also took aim at a Biden-era rule that would have imposed a one-size-fits-all staffing mandate that threatened the viability of nursing homes in rural communities. This rule was unworkable for many nursing homes in our state that simply could not find or afford to hire the number of health care professionals needed to meet the rule’s unfunded mandate. Some nursing homes would have had to shut their doors if Republicans had not blocked this regulation. With this mandate repealed and support from the Rural Health Transformation Program, Republicans have put rural health care on a better footing going forward.
It’s important that South Dakotans not only have access to quality care, but that they be able to afford that care as well. And thanks to Republicans’ efforts, folks in rural areas will have more dependable access to care, and costs will be more manageable.
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As we delve into Senator Thune’s healthcare package, we must confront the harsh reality facing our rural communities and Sioux Falls metro areas. While the proposed reforms aim to enhance access, they fall short in critical areas that directly impact the health and financial wellbeing of our citizens.
Out-of-Pocket Expenses Are Rising:
For the average working individual, the costs associated with medications and hospital care are becoming unmanageable. High-deductible plans and increased premiums threaten to push essential healthcare just out of reach, leaving many to choose between paying for their prescriptions or putting food on the table. This is simply unacceptable!
Lack of Choices and Flexibility:
Our rural residents deserve better than a one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare. The current package lacks the necessary flexibility in insurance options, forcing individuals into plans that may not meet their unique needs. We cannot sacrifice quality and accessibility for the sake of political expediency.
We must advocate for a healthcare system that prioritizes genuine affordability, diverse choices, and equitable access for all, especially in our underserved rural areas. It’s time to demand a healthcare solution that truly serves the people—not just the interests of a few.
Senator Thune is right about that. Rural healthcare FACILITIES are receiving $50 billion in federal dollars from Republican efforts. What he doesn’t say is how many American CITIZENS will lose coverage as a result of their legislation. The CBO has given him those dreary estimates.
Tell us… how many will lose coverage, Senator?
This is all fine and good, Senator Thune. But thanks to Republicans we have elevated insurance companies that make billions and dictate healthcare policy and denied Americans universal healthcare. Unlike our neighbors Canada and …. wait for it…. Greenland.
Out of pocket in January: One perscription I have have went up 115% and my insurance went up $220 a month. Thanks Thune.
Senator, your Big Beautiful Bill substantially reduced Medicaid which will have a major negative impact on rural clinics and hospitals. The Rural Healthcare Transformation Program only puts a small part of the cuts back. You are just not being honest with the people of SD.
What else is new?
Cannot wait to watch Thune choking on the SAVE America Act
Him choking on it is way better than him passing it.
I would give everything I have to return us to the Biden economy of 2023/2024. By the available data, we were provably the top economy ON EARTH. We had solid alliances, NO ACTIVE WARFARE, good job and employment numbers, infrastructure projects paid for and being built. WE WERE PROSPEROUS. Widely doing well.
I would give everything for that reset – because without it we are gradually losing everything we have under TFG.