There are currently tens of thousands in SD that have jobs but do not make enough money to afford health insurance. When people don't have health insurance they tend to avoid going to the doctor because it's very expensive, even with coverage. Sometimes health conditions or pain become too great to ignore and people will finally breakdown and go to the ER. This is the most expensive way to receive health care. Currently, Sanford tends to write off the bills and pass the cost on to everyone else. Avera on the other hand chooses to sue Minnehaha County. The county is required to provide health care services to those who can't afford it based on poverty level formulas. Millions of dollars worth of unpaid medical bills have been settled between Avera and Minnehaha county in the last year.
SD is the only state in our region that doesn't participate in expanded Medicaid which would cover the working poor. When we pay our federal income taxes we don't get a discount for not participating. Instead we pay full federal taxes and that money goes to other states and then we get to pay those health care bills again through our property taxes or higher rent.
ND passed expanded Medicaid for a short period of time. It has worked so well for them that they have renewed twice more.
If hard working South Dakotans had access to this affordable health care plan they would save us so much money by not waiting until it's an emergency. Sanford would no longer need to pass the cost along and Avera would no longer be suing the counties to get reimbursement. Maybe that is why so many groups like our health care systems and EMS departments are supporting Amendment D?
Just last week SD closed the doors on yet another nursing home. Nursing homes don't pay the best and many don't provide health insurance as a benefit. How many more nursing homes will we lose because their workers need to find jobs that provide health insurance? How many more small businesses will lose their employees because they cannot afford to provide expensive private health insurance plans? The ripple effect to our communities, small businesses and tax payers is significant, but it doesn't have to be this way. This past June a partisan group of legislators tried to stop us from having a say in our own government. They wanted to silence us but it didn't work. Voters showed up in record numbers for a primary and said No to amendment C. The legislature has been holding us back from solving this problem but we can use our voice and our vote and send them a message again this November.
-Dr Nichole Cauwels
Brandon SD
