South Dakota Becomes the Seventh State to Expand Medicaid via Ballot Initiative
Washington DC — Yesterday, South Dakota residents voted to expand Medicaid to more than 40,000 people across the state. The vote comes after years of Republican leaders working to block Medicaid expansion in South Dakota — despite overwhelming research that expansion improves health outcomes, reduces disparities in health care, boosts state economies, and saves lives. Before yesterday, South Dakota was just one of 12 states that have refused Medicaid expansion. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement:
“The outcome of South Dakota’s ballot initiative is not only a victory for Democrats, who have long championed Medicaid expansion, but it is a win for the 40,000 individuals and their families who will now have access to lifesaving care. For too long, Republican leaders in South Dakota have played politics with people’s lives and left families without options for affordable health coverage. This vote is especially important for South Dakotans of color, indigenous communities, and folks living in rural areas, who face extreme barriers to accessing care and suffer worse health outcomes. Medicaid expansion will keep rural hospitals open, create jobs, and improve financial security for families. Time and again, when this issue is brought to the ballot box, voters choose to lower costs and improve care for their neighbors.”