South Dakota approves Medicaid expansion over GOP resistance

The Associated Press ^ | November 9, 2022 | By STEPHEN GROVES

[Oldeconomybuyer]

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota voters on Tuesday approved the expansion of Medicaid health insurance to tens of thousands of low-income residents through a constitutional amendment.

The majority vote to support Constitutional Amendment D removes South Dakota from a list of 12 states that have not expanded eligibility for the government health insurance program to people earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level — currently about $18,800 for an individual or $38,300 for a family of four.

The Republican-controlled Legislature had declined to expand Medicaid eligibility under the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act, and Gov. Kristi Noem has opposed the idea. But proponents for expansion have found success through ballot measures across GOP-dominated states, and a wide coalition of health care groups and organizations backed a well-funded ballot campaign this year in South Dakota.

“We’re a farm community, and people just can’t afford insurance so they need some more help,” said Bob Pederson, a Sioux Falls retiree who voted to expand eligibility Tuesday.

Dave Melemseter, also voting in Sioux Falls, said he backed expansion even though he worried it would weigh heavily on the state budget. Melemseter — who like Pederson said he usually votes Republican — said it was important for people to have coverage.

[HighSierra5]

Incremental steps to total communism. Get ready folks. The day will come and not too soon you’ll have to fight, literally, for your basic freedoms.

[Soul of the South]

We have reached the tipping point where a majority of voters in many states will vote to spend other people’s money on themselves or programs to which they are emotionally attached.

When the productive citizens of society become a minority they will be exploited by the majority until they leave or stop producing. At some point the majority run’s out of other people’s money. At that point anarchy will reign as the recipients who are denied take what they want from their fellow recipients.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

… At that point anarchy will reign …

I’ve often thought Europe will collapse first, shocking us out of the quest for a socialist utopia. Now, I’m not so sure …

[NeverCheney]

“ Incremental steps to total communism.”

Or a reflection that costs are high for people and they need help. Unfortunately, getting the government involved as pay or can cause prices to rise even more. But somehow Israel has a good health system with a public-payer element.

[srmanuel]

Here’s the issue, voters see trillions going to pointless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and billions going to another pointless war on n Ukraine and get mad and vote themselves extra benefits and from their perspective, can you blame them ??

[hopefullamerican]

Hey if that’s what the people of the state want then good on them. If the politicians were ignoring their wishes then the people have every right to do what they did. Either we support people voting as they wish, and not as we’d like, or we don’t...which is it..??

[ExTxMarine]

Israel, as a general rule, has a whole lot more in common needs for everyone in the country than any other country on the planet...where almost all the other public-payer healthcare systems SUCK!

Let’s compare the ONE outlier of “good” public-payer healthcare to America’s lack of a public-payer system - LOL!

[NeverCheney]

“ Let’s compare the ONE outlier of “good” public-payer healthcare to America’s lack of a public-payer system”

Why not? I see know reason we can’t learn from policies and programs that have worked in Israel, or anywhere else

[NeverCheney]

“ When the productive citizens of society become a minority they will be exploited by the majority until they leave or stop producing.”

I feel exploited by Americas military-industrial complex. We have bases in more countries and continents than the Roman Empire. We give foreign aid to a third of the world But we can’t afford to fund programs for Americans at home

[ExTxMarine]

Thank you for ignoring the first line I wrote. Israel is NOT America, and America is NOT Israel. Thinking they are even remotely the same and therefore one size will fit both, is simply absurd.

But, hey let’s definitely get the US Government involved in every medical decision in our lives...Lord knows our government has been nothing but a gracious and benevolent structure since its beginning...

[ExTxMarine]

I feel exploited by Americas military-industrial complex. We have bases in more countries and continents than the Roman Empire. We give foreign aid to a third of the world But we can’t afford to fund programs for Americans at home

On THIS we can agree! And that comes from someone who spent over nine years in the Marine Corps! We have too much money on the "what ifs" that never come to fruition, and then we spend money on the future "what ifs", which means more money for research and development.

We need to stop being the words cops and the words ATM!