South Dakota Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Medicaid Expansion

PIERRE - South Dakota lawmakers are taking another look at the possibility of expanding Medicaid to cover thousands more people.

The House and Senate committees on Health and Human Services are holding a joint meeting Wednesday to consider the advantages and drawbacks of expanding the program as part of the federal health care overhaul.

South Dakota's Medicaid program now covers about 116,000 children, adults and disabled people. If the state decides to expand eligibility, another 48,000 people who are mostly adults without children would be added to the program.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard wants the state to delay a decision on whether to expand Medicaid because he is uncertain the federal government can keep its promise to pick up most of the cost of the expansion.

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