PIERRE, S.D. –– The South Dakota Senate on Monday moved a step closer to dismantling voter-initiated Medicaid expansion, approving House Joint Resolution 5001, potentially triggering a 2026 Constitutional Amendment ballot question that could terminate access to health care for the 29,000 South Dakotans enrolled in Medicaid expansion.
To cover the thousands of people who previously did not qualify for traditional Medicaid and could not afford private insurance, the state pays 10% of expenses for the roughly 29,000 South Dakotans enrolled in Medicaid expansion while the federal government covers the rest. Should the federal government decide to drop its share, South Dakota could revert back to the time when tens of thousands were uninsured with no option for health care coverage, leaving hard-working South Dakotans unable to afford basic preventative care or routine cancer screenings.
The South Dakota Legislature had the option to expand Medicaid beginning in 2014 but declined to do so until the program was voted into law in 2022.
“The South Dakota Legislature did not implement Medicaid expansion and has been clear that it wants to dismantle the voter-initiated health care program since it was voted into law,” American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Government Relations Director Ben Hanson said. “South Dakotans, on the other hand, have been clear that they think their friends, family and neighbors should have access to comprehensive, affordable care. We will continue to advocate on behalf of tens of thousands of South Dakotans to preserve their health care coverage.