SD lawmakers exploring Medicaid expansion

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PIERRE (AP) — South Dakota lawmakers from both parties have formed a special committee to learn more about the advantages and drawbacks of expanding Medicaid.

The committee includes 19 lawmakers, including Republican and Democratic leaders from the House and Senate. They are requesting that a special hearing be held by a joint session of the House and Senate committees on Health and Human Services.

Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard wants the state to delay a decision on whether to add 48,000 people to the state-federal program that pays medical bills for low-income people. He says he is uncertain the federal government can keep its promise to pick up most of the cost of the expansion, which is part of the national health care overhaul.

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