Amendment D, another way to steal our money!
Already overwhelmed with the cost of living? Amendment D is another way for the Feds to control more of our lives and will likely force tax increases in SD.
Are you overwhelmed with everything you are already paying for government services you don't use and will never get, like social security?
Now D.C. is trying another smooth one to get us to sign-up for Medicaid Expansion.
What exactly is Medicaid Expansion? In short, it means more people qualify for Medicaid (government healthcare). Interestingly, most who would be moved to Medicaid is already covered by regular insurance. This insurance coverage is required by ObamaCare, so Medicaid Expansion means a lot of people would be forced into lower quality government healthcare, especially younger people who are just starting out.
Because doctors don’t get adequately compensated for treating Medicaid patients, many doctors don’t want to do it. This means the lines to get into a doctor who accepts Medicaid would get longer. And people on this program probably won’t get the best doctors, since fewer doctors are willing to participate.
And while the Feds are saying there are cash benefits to the state, extra money can only be used for Medicaid. Also, the state is required to handle Medicaid administration and has to come up with ways to cover any shortfall. Unfortunately, revenue shortfalls are common in states who have agreed to the expansion. We have a balanced budget requirement in South Dakota, so this means we would have to raise taxes or cut services.
Many of us have seen the ads from Avera and Sanford. Hospitals want Amendment D because it is a low risk way for them to improve profitability while shifting the extra risk and cost to the South Dakota taxpayers, both Federal and state taxes. In other words, they are focused on their bottom lines, not on what might be best for the citizens of South Dakota.
And finally, we have to amend our State Constitution to expand Medicaid. Why would people who wrote this amendment ask us to change your constitution, if this was on the up and up? Because it isn’t. Once we head down this path, it is unlikely we can go back. It’s one and done and we will always be beholden to the Feds.
So I hope you will join me in voting NO on Medicaid Expansion.
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