South Dakota

Report identifies factors leading to high child Medicaid disenrollment in SD

Published

2 years ago

May 13, 2024

Report identifies factors leading to high child Medicaid disenrollment in SD

A new report underscores the percentage of South Dakota disenrolled from Medicaid coverage due to the public health emergency unwinding.

Researchers with the Urban Institute point to three policies that led to the large decrease.

States with high Medicaid disenrollment rates — like South Dakota — also saw high child disenrollment. Last year, the federal government reported a 27 percent in Medicaid enrollment for South Dakota kids.

A new report, created in conjunction with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, points to three state policy decisions contributing to those high rates.

“South Dakota is a good illustration of basically all of the things we highlighted in that paper,” said Matthew Buettgens, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and one of the researchers who compared Medicaid enrollment data with projections.

Buettgens said states that took less than 12 months to disenroll Medicaid applicants had higher disenrollment.

States that prioritized and identified people likely to be ineligible also saw higher child disenrollment.

The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services allowed states to apply for over a dozen waivers to streamline the unwinding process and reduce the number of people who are unnecessarily disenrolled. Of those fifteen waivers, the state only applied for one.

“That certainly is contributing to the high child disenrollment,” Buettgens said. “It’s not at all clear that that’s the entire story. Because the child disenrollment is so high, there very well may be something else going on.”

The rate of child disenrollment from Medicaid in South Dakota alarmed federal officials last year. US Health and Human services sent a letter to the Noem administration urging it to adopt policies to make Medicaid renewal easier.

In January, state officials attributed the drop in child Medicaid coverage to rising incomes and said they’re following federal guidance for disenrolling children.

SD DSS Secretary Matt Althoff testifies in favor of a proposed Medicaid work requirement ballot question for voters.

In a statement, DSS Secretary Matt Althoff said the department followed all federal guidance during unwinding. He adds all renewals are examined based on eligibility requirements set forth in the state Medicaid plan, which was approved by the feds.

South Dakota Department of Social Services Secretary Matt Althoff full statement:

The South Dakota Department of Social Services has followed all federal guidance during unwinding. All renewals have been examined based on the eligibility requirements set forth in the state’s Medicaid plan, which has been reviewed and approved by the federal government. DSS is confident in the results from our unwinding efforts.

Regarding the UI report, South Dakota is called out in this report based on projections that the study authors alone created.  In fact, the report itself acknowledges that state-specific economic factors and employment rates can cause Medicaid enrollment to deviate from their projected trends (second paragraph under limitations, pdf page 14).   UI’s analysis is based on estimates of past enrollment trends in their Health Insurance Policy Simulation Model (HIPSM) which they used to project a future enrollment rate.  But the study author’s note that for smaller states, there is greater uncertainty in those projections.  DSS also notes the study’s acknowledgment that increased economic growth in a state reduces its Medicaid enrollment (UI report executive summary). 

DSS offers essential context in which to review Unwinding data for South Dakota:

Medicaid and CHIP enrollment in South Dakota were steadily declining prior to the start of the public health emergency.
The policies mentioned in the UI report are not part of the state Medicaid Plan
South Dakota’s Plan for Unwinding, which was approved by CMS, projected enrollment rates to decline and trend toward pre-pandemic levels. Indeed, this is precisely what occurred.
The percentage of children enrolled in South Dakota Medicaid declined by 0.32% per year between 2020 and 2023, comparable to the previous two years decline of 0.30% per year.
South Dakota concurrently experienced declining numbers for SNAP, TANF and CCA (Child Care Assistance) over the same time period measured in the UI report.
South Dakota had the 4th lowest rate of procedural closures (for administrative rather than income basis) in the nation.  (KFF Health News tracker)

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 10, 2026

Published

4 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing

16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 10 drawing

03-27-43-45-49, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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South Dakota

Trading property tax for sales tax: Legislature moves forward with parts of homeowner relief package

Published

16 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Trading property tax for sales tax: Legislature moves forward with parts of homeowner relief package

PIERRE — Two pieces of a property tax reduction package prepared by South Dakota’s legislative leadership and the executive branch are moving forward, but one bill failed during votes on Monday as lawmakers began the final week of the annual legislative session.

The House of Representatives voted

42-27

in support of

Senate Bill 245

, which would pull future revenue from a scheduled sales tax increase from 4.2% to 4.5% next year into a relief fund for homeowner property taxes, and use nearly $56 million in one-time money to seed the fund before the sales tax increase.

The Senate supported

House Bill 1323

, which would reduce the number of petition signatures needed to force an election on a local government’s decision to levy property taxes beyond limits set by the state. The Senate passed the bill 19-15.

Both bills have to return to the opposite chamber for consideration of amendments.

The Senate rejected

House Bill 1253

, which would cap annual assessment growth for owner-occupied homes and commercial properties at 5% annually and reset assessments back to market value every five years. The bill failed with a 9-24 vote.

The bills are part of a broader,

five-bill legislative package

targeted at property tax relief.

Another bill

in the package, which would allow counties to implement a half-percent sales tax with proceeds going to homeowner property tax credits, is awaiting the governor’s signature after he proposed it and it received both chambers’ approval.

The legislative budget committee is scheduled to consider a fifth piece of legislation in the package on Tuesday.

The bill

would reduce maximum property tax levies for school districts.

Sales tax bill overcomes concerns about future budget needs

SB 245 would capture revenue from the impending sales tax increase to deposit into a “homeowner property tax reduction fund” meant to reduce property taxes levied by school districts. The Legislature and then-Gov. Kristi Noem reduced the state sales tax rate three years ago but scheduled the reduction to sunset in 2027.

House Speaker Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, told lawmakers on Monday that the bill would be an “investment in the people,” because it’ll give South Dakota homeowners more money to spend as they choose. Hansen, the bill’s sponsor and a candidate for governor, said that would lead to more spending and, therefore, more sales tax revenue. The state relies on sales taxes, while counties and schools rely on property taxes, and cities receive revenue from property taxes and sales taxes.

Some opponents said the legislation would favor wealthier, property-owning South Dakotans rather than lower-income renters.

Rep. Mike Weisgram, R-Fort Pierre, speaks on the House floor at the Capitol in Pierre on March 9, 2026.

(Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

Rep. Mike Weisgram, R-Fort Pierre, worried that automatically diverting future state revenue to reduce homeowner property taxes would come at the cost of other priorities, such as annual funding increases for state employees, Medicaid providers and public schools — which are known as the “big three” budget priorities. Lawmakers often

aim

to increase funding for the groups by 3% or inflation, whichever is less. An inflationary increase this legislative session would be 2.5%, according to the state Department of Education.

“We are just clawing to get 1.4% for the big three,” Weisgram said. “I don’t think any of us are proud of that.”

Hansen said the decision “is not an either-or” situation.

“We can help the property taxpayers in the state who desperately, desperately need it,” Hansen said, “and then I trust fully that this state is going to continue to grow and that we are going to be able to meet the needs of our core obligations of this state.”

The bill was introduced as an amendment to placeholder legislation last week, and it will head to the Senate for approval. The Senate narrowly rejected a

similar proposal

earlier this legislative session.

Senate approves lower signature threshold to force election on excess taxes

The version of House Bill 1323 that passed the Senate would set the number of petition signatures needed to force an election on an excess tax levy (often called an “opt-out”) for a local government at 2,500 or 5% of registered voters within its jurisdiction, whichever is less. The current threshold to refer decisions by a local government is 5% of registered voters in the district, without a 2,500 signature cap.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, said it will still be difficult to refer decisions by a local government to voters.

“You’re talking dozens and dozens of volunteers, weeks of organized effort,” Howard said. “There’s not a lot of people that have been through that and can even organize that kind of effort. So it’s not a trivial bar.”

Because the bill was amended since it last appeared in the House, it’ll now go to the House for approval.

HB 1253 intended to provide South Dakota homeowners and commercial property owners predictable increases in their property assessments, which factor into property taxes they pay, over five year periods.

But opponents said the change would shift the property tax burden onto farmers and ranchers and surprise homeowners every five years when assessments would be re-based on market value, which could lead to double-digit increases in assessments.

This story was originally published on

SouthDakotaSearchlight.com.

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South Dakota

Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – State Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff joined Political Pulse over the weekend.

Mehlhaff weighed in on property tax proposals, data centers, and effort to repeal the death penalty and speculation that Kristi Noem could run for Senate.

The interviewed was taped on Saturday.

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