Grassroots Organizing Network
BESIDES THE MORAL IMPERATIVE OF TAKING CARE OF THOSE WHO NEED HELP MEDICAID EXPANSION IS AN ECONOMIC WIN IN EVERY WAY. ESPECIALLY, FOR STATES LIKE SOUTH DAKOTA.
South Dakota Medicaid Expansion Campaign
"Right now, too many South Dakotans work at jobs that don’t offer health insurance, forcing thousands of our neighbors and family members to choose between life-saving care and putting food on the table.
Expanding Medicaid will change that for over 42,000 South Dakotans, making our families healthier and our economy stronger. It will deliver healthcare to those who need it but can’t afford it, including many parents, seniors, and hardworking folks who earn less than $17,000 a year. It will also bring $300 million of our tax dollars home from Washington, D.C. every year that will make it possible to provide health insurance to the uninsured, lower insurance premiums, make prescription drugs more affordable, protect our rural hospitals, boost our economy, and create thousands of new jobs.
Those are the reasons 38 other states have already chosen to expand Medicaid and why we think South Dakota should too. It is also why we have been circulating petition to do so via constitutional amendment since November and why we need your help."
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FIVE REASONS SOUTH DAKOTA SHOULD EXPAND MEDICAID
01
INVESTMENT
Expanding Medicaid will bring $300 million in new federal dollars home from Washington, D.C. every year to create thousands of good paying jobs, boost our economy, and protect and improve our healthcare infrastructure. According to Governor Daugaard’s South Dakota Healthcare Solutions Coalition, between SFY2018 and SFY 2021 Medicaid expansion would have netted $1.826 billion for South Dakota taxpayers
02
JOBS
Expanding Medicaid would create thousands of good paying jobs in South Dakota each and every year. In Missouri, for example, according to a non-partisan study conducted by Regional Economic Models (REMI), Medicaid expansion will create over 16,330 jobs between 2022-2026. That translates to roughly over 13,064 new South Dakota jobs over the same period of time.
03
WAGES
The jobs created through medicaid expansion are good jobs. According to Washington University of Saint Louis, of the jobs created through the expansion of Medicaid approximately 87.8% are in industries paying real wages of at least $15 per hour. Montana is a great example.
04
NATIVE NATIONS
South Dakota’s has the highest percentage of uninsured low income citizen adults in the nation some of whom are Native American. Expanding Medicaid will extend health services to over 15,000 American Indians in the state while injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into rural health systems which will stimulate our economy. This is something Montana was able to accomplish within twenty four months of expanding Medicaid.
05
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
Besides the moral imperative of taking care of those who need help, expanding Medicaid in South Dakota is also an economic win in almost every way. Indeed, if South Dakota chooses to not expand Medicaid or to kick the can down the road it will miss out on hundreds of millions of additional dollars that could be used to stimulate our economy and improve rural health services. It is time to get serious and expand Medicaid in South Dakota in 2022. (Looking for something shorter to share with a friend our colleague? Check out our blog or visit our "getting started" page
