PIERRE, S.D. -- South Dakota voters again affirmed consistent support for Medicaid expansion Tuesday night, sending Amendment I to defeat. The amendment would have repealed voter-approved Medicaid expansion should the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) drop below 90%.
“Voters have been clear in their support for Medicaid expansion in South Dakota. This latest message is unmistakable and should be heard by state leadership,” American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) South Dakota Government Relations Director Jessica Gilbertson said. “Medicaid expansion was put in place by voters and should be supported and funded appropriately. The rebuke of this amendment keeps healthcare coverage solidly in place for 30,000 of our friends, family and neighbors and reduces the risk of additional cuts that could weaken rural hospitals.”
South Dakota volunteer cancer advocates further call on lawmakers and state leadership to follow the will of the voters and ensure full access to Medicaid expansion for those eligible in the coming legislative session. The program serves as part of a strong foundation for the state’s workforce and quality of life.
“The next task for lawmakers and state leadership is to implement federally mandated work requirements in a way that limits the loss of healthcare access to eligible South Dakotans,” Gilbertson said. “Complying with Medicaid work requirements will not simply be a matter of having a job. Hard-working folks must also be able to manage the bureaucracy of the new regulations. Through their support for Medicaid expansion, voters have let state leadership know they have an obligation to make that process as easy as possible.”