South Dakotans Decide Healthcare, a broad coalition of patient advocates, nurses, healthcare providers, farmers and ranchers, faith leaders, educators, business leaders and more, are grateful to the people of South Dakota for their support tonight.
“We’re glad that South Dakota voters saw that helping our neighbors get health care is the right thing to do,” said Dave Kapaska, DO, MBA, retired hospital executive and co-chair of the American Heart Association’s volunteer cabinet for Medicaid expansion. “Ensuring health care access for 42,000 hardworking South Dakotans is good for them and their families, good for their employers who need them more than ever, and good for the economic progress of this state.”
Doug Sombke, President of South Dakota Farmers Union, and member of the South Dakotans Decide Healthcare coalition said, “Medicaid expansion will be a crucial opportunity for farmers and ranchers across South Dakota to accept affordable healthcare coverage for the first time. Too many families have had to give up generations of farming and move to cities in order to afford health care. This will allow farmers and their families to keep tradition alive and keep taking advantage of the opportunities living in rural communities provides.”
“This year, thousands of South Dakotans will hear some of the worst words imaginable, ‘you have cancer.’ The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) works with families to advocate for treatment options and to ensure a cancer diagnosis isn’t a path straight to bankruptcy. We know how to save lives from cancer and we know how to save money on health care costs. Ensuring that low-income working South Dakota families have access to health care coverage – especially during tough times – is an important first step. We’re glad we took this step and passed Amendment D tonight,” said Dr. Mary Milroy, volunteer with ACS CAN.
South Dakotans want to see Medicaid expansion enacted quickly. According to a recent poll commissioned by the ACS CAN, 82% of South Dakotans said even if they did not support Amendment D they want to see the Governor and legislature respect the will of the voters and move quickly to implement this policy when it passes.
