Medicaid expansion moving through committee process

Democratic lawmakers are hopeful that some 48,000 South Dakota residents will be covered after the state's GOP governor signs proposed legislation.

Democrat Billie Sutton says the cost of expanding Medicaid is around 100 million dollars through the year 2020 but the state would receive around 2 billion dollars of federal funds in return. "The economic impact of that 2 billion dollars would actually make our state money after we pay for Medicaid expansion," says Sutton, "There’s a study done by two professors out of the University of Nebraska and it stated that we would gain 64 million dollars over the next 7 years if we expanded Medicaid in South Dakota. That’s after Medicaid expansion is paid for." [Jackelyn Severin, SDPB]

Wyoming's Republican-dominated legislators are moving similar proposals through that body supported by a GOP governor.

Legislative crackerbarrels are being held throughout South Dakota: go encourage them to pass health protection for working class citizens and families.

#SDLeg Cracker Barrels in Brookings, Huron, Rapid City, Vermillion, Watertown and Yankton today - http://t.co/gYnctK3K1I. #sdedu
— asbsd_org (@asbsd_org) January 31, 2015