Each day on KELO-AM Radio’s It’s Your Business – Leader of the Band show, entrepreneurs and community and state leaders discuss business and issues impacting South Dakota and the Nation. During the January 16 edition, SDAHO’s President/CEO, Tim Rave joined the conversation to talk healthcare legislation.
The host of the program, Scott Lawrence asked Tim to explain SDAHO’s mission and role during the legislative session. “I spend every day of the legislative session out here in Pierre, because healthcare is a big topic, it’s a big animal. A lot of bills touch healthcare, last year we tracked 104 bills with 55 or 60 that we were really concerned about as opponents or proponents, and I think that number is going to go up significantly this year.”
Many are expecting a record number of bills to be introduced this legislative session and according to Rave, that is normal during the second year of first term lawmakers. “We had a record number of new legislators last year and that will probably translate to a large number of bills this year. We had 140 bills drop before we even got to the legislature this year and I have never seen that in the 22 years I have been around this process.” According to Rave a typical legislative session will see 450 to 500 bills, this year there are suggestions that lawmakers could see over 600 bills. According to Rave, “That doesn’t mean that all of them will be drafted, as some will think it’s a good idea originally and then change their mind and decide not to bring the bill, we will see.”
Lawrence asked Tim what he thinks will be the big healthcare related bills this session. Rave shared, “One of the more important ones is Medicaid Funding, and I want to thank the Governor for proposing a 4% inflationary increase in Medicaid in her budget address in December. We are excited to see that number and it can change as session evolves, it typically doesn’t or will stay close to that is what I would expect.”
To listen to the full interview with SDAHO’s Tim Rave and Scott Lawrence with KELO-AM It’s Your Business, visit their website here, find the January 16, 2024 podcast, with the interview starting at 37:00.
