Unusually high healthcare costs in South Dakota are prompting some state residents to forgo necessary medical care, which in turn can drive up costs even further.
South Dakota News Watch reported that a new ranking by Forbes Advisor used nine metrics to determine which states had the highest health care costs. South Dakota came in second behind North Carolina, per information from Forbes Advisor.
Other research shows the state's annual per-capita health care cost for consumers is nearly $12,500, the highest in the Great Plains region.
High costs in South Dakota are generally attributed to a lack of competition in health care and insurance, high medical employee and overhead costs, and a scarcity of major employers who can pay more toward employees' share of costs.
Recent research from KFF, formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation, revealed that nearly 1 in 10 South Dakota residents has put off needed medical care due to concern over costs. Additionally, 25 percent did not get necessary mental-health treatment over cost worries.
Experts say an expansion of Medicaid eligibility, which took effect in 2023, could lower costs for everyone as more low-income residents receive care and providers get some costs covered by the federal program.
In other news, a bill that would extend postpartum care coverage for people on Medicaid from 60 days to one year is on its way to Governor Kim Reynolds.
The bill would also lower Iowa’s income limit for pregnant people to qualify to 215 percent of the federal poverty level.
That’s down from its current limit of 375 percent, which is the highest in the nation..
Democrats opposed the income eligibility drop, saying an estimated 1,700 pregnant Iowans and babies would no longer qualify for coverage.
House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst said the state’s budget can afford the $7 million it would take to keep the income threshold the same.
Republican Rep. Devon Wood said the change would put Iowa’s income limit more on par with the limits of other surrounding Midwestern states.
Additionally, after the second driest February on record, above-normal rainfall in March helped improve some drought conditions across Iowa. That’s according to the latest Water Summary Update, which was released by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources on Thursday.
March’s preliminary precipitation was 2.5 inches, or half an inch above normal.
At the end of March, Iowa’s Drought Plan showed overall conditions have improved in the state, with areas of northeast and southern Iowa maintaining a drought watch designation.
Four of the last six months have been wetter than normal, which has led to improved streamflow and soil moisture.
Tim Hall, the DNR’s Hydrology Resources Coordinator, said four years of drought will not be eliminated in just few months, so the precipitation through June will be critical.
Over the past year, precipitation in Iowa stands at 7.5 inches below normal, and the state has now seen 204 consecutive weeks of dry or drought conditions.
