The 2020 budget passed by the South Dakota Legislature includes a 10 percent ongoing increase for Medicaid reimbursement for nursing centers in South Dakota.
Executive Director of the South Dakota Health Care Association Mark B. Deak says the ongoing increase is a significant step in the right direction, but there’s still more work to do to close the Medicaid gap.
Combined with federal matching funds, the increase amounts to over $18 million in additional funding for long term care. The Medicaid gap is estimated to be about $66-million statewide.
The budget also includes $5 million funding for “innovation grants” for nursing centers, as well as a 4 percent increase for assisted living providers.
