Daugaard caving on Medicaid expansion

Democrats in the South Dakota legislature care about the 48,000 residents living without access to affordable health care and insurance while the Republican Party cares only about killing it.

As part of the Affordable Care Act, the federal government will fund over ninety percent of the expansion, which would extend health coverage to about forty eight thousand low income adults. While generally opposed to that expansion, Governor Dennis Daugaard says they are having continued discussions with Medicaid service providers. Daugaard says part of the discussion centers on helping several thousand people manage their chronic health conditions. Daugaard says providing health care to those in rural areas is one of the major challenges for providers. Daugaard says the state continues to talk to the federal government about possible Medicaid waivers. [WNAX]

Deadlines are looming as the legislature reaches the halfway point in the 2015 session.

Brookings is expected to spend at least $46 million on the city's hospital asking property owners to fund $30 million of the improvements as GOP lawmakers stop Democratic efforts to remove the cap on property taxes set by the Janklow administration.

As revenues from coal, oil and gas plummet Wyoming's GOP governor wants to expand Medicaid but the state's GOP-dominated Senate voted to kill affordable medical insurance yet the House remains hopeful.

Medicaid expansion is a cornerstone of the federal Affordable Care Act. Supporters of expansion in Wyoming said accepting it would provide health care coverage to 17,600 people, bring more than $100 million a year in new federal funds and create about 800 jobs. [Casper Star-Tribune]

Funding for school nurses in Wyoming hangs in the Medicaid balance.

North Dakota has accepted the Affordable Care Act and Montana is debating expansion for that state's working class.