JANUARY 31, 2023:
The South Dakota House of Representatives this afternoon (Jan. 31, 2023) passes a resolution that proposes a state constitutional amendment to allow for the state to consider a work requirement for “able-bodied” Medicaid recipients. The vote was 60 to 8.
Resolution sponsor, Republican Rep. Tony Venhuizen from Sioux Falls, said the amendment would not require a work requirement but would allow the legislature to consider one in the future if passed. Currently, Venhuizen said the constitutional amendment expanding Medicaid passed in 2022 does not allow the state to put any additional requirements on people who now qualify for Medicaid than past recipients. Current federal policy also disallows a Medicaid work requirement, Venhuizen said.
Opposing the resolution, Republican Rep. Greg Jamison from Sioux Falls said the election that passed the Medicaid expansion was only 84 days ago. “It sends a terrible message to voters that we want to work around what they voted for.” Jamison and other opponents said the term “able-bodied” is not easily defined.
(Story courtesy of the South Dakota Broadcasters Association.)
JANUARY 30, 2023:
A South Dakota House committee approved a proposed constitutional amendment allowing the state to implement an “able-bodied” requirement for Medicaid recipients this morning (Jan. 30, 2023).
The new amendment would allow the state to add an “able-bodied” requirement.
House Joint Resolution 5004 sponsor, Republican Rep. Tony Venhuizen of Sioux Falls, says the measure allows– not requires– the state to implement a work requirement. However, Sister Lynn Marie Welbig of the Presentation Sisters says backers of the new constitutional amendment intend to add a work requirement eventually.
The proposed constitutional amendment passed 11 to 2 on a party-line vote. It now goes to the House.
The 2022 state constitutional amendment that expands Medicaid coverage for indigent South Dakotans hasn’t been implemented yet. The S.D. Department of Health is currently writing the rules and hiring staff to implement the expansion.
(Story courtesy of the South Dakota Broadcasters Association.)
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