If South Dakota voters approve the ballot initiative on November 8, it will leave 11 states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs under the ACA.
While there are 12 states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), if more than 50% of South Dakota voters voted YES on Amendment D on November 8, Only 11 states may remain.
Amendment D expands the state’s Medicare program. Republican Gov. Christy Noem, who is expected to win his re-election bid, said he does not support expanding Medicaid but would implement the amendment if passed.
Other states that have not expanded Medicaid are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Proponents of Medicaid expansion see it as a practical step toward getting more Americans covered by health insurance. Detractors say it strains state budgets, and some want to add conditions such as job requirements to coverage. However, some states have linked coverage to labor requirements.
South Dakota’s ballot initiative would amend the state constitution to expand Medicaid. An amendment to raise the pass threshold from 50% to 60% of votes was defeated earlier this year.
If voters approve the amendment, about 42,500 South Dakotans will be eligible for Medicaid coverage. argus leadera daily newspaper of Sioux Falls, South Dakota,
For states that agree to Medicaid, the ACA expands program coverage to nearly all adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level (about $18,750 this year). ACA increases the federal concordance rate of the expanded population to 90%.
Proponents of Medicaid expansion see it as a practical step toward getting more Americans covered by health insurance. Detractors say it strains state budgets, and some want to add conditions such as job requirements to coverage. However, some states have linked coverage to labor requirements.
The 2021 American Relief Plans Act also had provisions to channel more federal dollars into state Medicaid programs.
According to the Commonwealth Fund, if the ballot measure passes in South Dakota, it would become the seventh state to expand Medicaid after voters approved the ballot initiative. Her six remaining are Idaho, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Utah.
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