Latest news with #SouthDakotaDepartmentofSocialServices
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Federal action could make SD's Medicaid work requirements ‘an exercise in futility,' official says
South Dakota Department of Social Services Secretary Matt Althoff speaks at a press conference in Sioux Falls on April 25, 2025. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) South Dakota's proposal to implement work requirements for Medicaid expansion could be 'an exercise in futility' now that the federal government is also considering it, said state Department of Social Services Secretary Matt Althoff. The state began drafting its proposal immediately following the end of the state legislative session in March, Althoff said, before debates about work requirements heated up at the congressional level. Department officials presented their plan at the state Board of Social Services meeting Friday morning via video conference, just before the first of two public hearings on the proposal. 'Respectfully, humbly, we ask for your grace,' Althoff told board members, 'because we're asking for your feedback on something that might be obsoleted by the vote of 100 senators and the stroke of a pen from our president.' Health care advocates form coalition urging Republicans to take their 'Hands Off Medicaid' Medicaid is government-funded health insurance for people with low incomes. South Dakotans voted in 2022 to expand Medicaid to adults with incomes up to 138% of the poverty level, a decision that allowed the state to capitalize on a 90% federal funding match — funding that could be in jeopardy, pending the outcome of congressional action. Last year, voters passed another constitutional amendment to let the state seek approval from the federal government to impose work requirements on expansion enrollees. At the federal level, proposed Medicaid work requirements would mandate those between ages 19 and 65 who rely on the program to work, participate in community service, or attend an educational program for at least 80 hours each month. The work requirement would be applied at the time of application, and Medicaid renewal would be changed to every six months instead of an annual basis. South Dakota's plan would require adult Medicaid recipients work, train, attend school or serve as a caretaker for a child or elderly or disabled person in their home unless they meet an exception. Compliance with the state-level work rules would be reviewed on an annual basis, at the time of Medicaid renewal, rather than at the time of application. The state would not require a set number of hours of work or education time. Heather Petermann, Medicaid director at the department, said the requirement would be a 'complement' to Medicaid to 'encourage' work without 'trying to track arbitrary work hours.' 'This approach really recognizes that for many individuals who need assistance with health care, that comes first,' Petermann said. 'Then it allows them to maintain their health so that they can work, or obtain the health needed to seek employment.' The federal government also has more exceptions in its proposal than the state, including tribal community members, people who are in foster care or were in foster care who are younger than 26, and people released from incarceration in the last 90 days. South Dakota would allow exceptions for people who are: Pregnant or postpartum. Disabled, as determined by the Social Security Administration. Diagnosed with cancer or another serious or terminal medical condition by a physician. In an intensive behavioral health treatment program, hospitalized or living in a nursing home. In an area with unemployment 20% or more above the national average and are exempt from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents. As of last month, 30,542 South Dakotans were covered by the Medicaid expansion. The state estimates 80% of them already work or qualify for an exception. SD seeks Medicaid work rules in spite of similar moves by Congress The proposed state-level work requirement would reduce enrollment by an estimated 5-10% in the first year. That would save the Medicaid program between $48.9 million and $71 million in the first year, the department says. The federal proposal as it stands now will cost more administratively than South Dakota's proposed work requirements, Althoff added. States 'will be asked to absorb' costs if the federal proposal is adopted. The state's proposal requires less administrative oversight to reduce anticipated costs, due in part to the state's tight budget approved by the Legislature this year. 'That's just sort of naming the tension about how not having new funds is sort of an important wrinkle to our development process,' Althoff said. 'It's really having to be done within an existing budget.' Board member Colleen Winter said the proposal is 'respectful' of the individuals the department serves. Work requirements are already in place for some federal programs, such as SNAP, and state efforts, such as child care assistance and parental reunification expectations within Child Protection Services. While more than 20 people sat in on a virtual public hearing regarding the state's proposed Medicaid work requirements on Friday, only one member of the public spoke. Attorney Nathaniel Amdur-Clark spoke on behalf of the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board. He said his client wants to see an exception for Indian Health Service beneficiaries. Native Americans who are tribal enrolled members are eligible to receive health care services through the federal Indian Health Service. Those individuals are eligible for Medicaid coverage even if they do not meet other Medicaid requirements, such as income limits, 'to implement and further trust and treaty obligations the U.S. has to provide health care' for tribal members, Amdur-Clark said. Though Althoff and Petermann did not respond to Amdur-Clark's comments about IHS patients, they did address the subject during the earlier board meeting. Petermann said the proposal includes 'geographic exemptions,' including areas of the state with 'high unemployment.' 'Things like that would also apply to tribal members and American Indians, but we otherwise did not call out or exclude American Indians,' Petermann said. 'The approach is that this is a benefit and we want that dignity and pride to be part of the benefit for everybody, so they would be treated the same in this approach.' Amdur-Clark added that there are technical concerns regarding exemptions in the proposal and that more work is needed to achieve 'real tribal consultation.' The department met with some tribal leaders last week to discuss the proposal, Althoff said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Shelly Ten Napel, CEO of the Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas, said in an emailed statement that her organization is monitoring state and federal work requirement proposals closely. The group did not give input at the first public meeting, but plans to share its perspective on state work requirements during the public comment period. Ten Napel opposed last year's ballot measure authorizing the state's pursuit of work requirements. Compared to the work requirement proposal being considered in Congress, Ten Napel said, the state proposal is 'overall pretty reasonable.' Gov. Larry Rhoden's administration 'did a careful job of responding to concerns' raised during the debate last year, Ten Napel said, including administrative burdens and exceptions. 'We look forward to working with them to ensure smooth implementation of the new rules if they are approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,' Ten Napel said in the statement. 'We also encourage members of Congress to take a careful look at the common sense approach South Dakota is taking and rethink some of the heavy-handed rules currently under consideration in the Big Beautiful Bill.' The 'big beautiful bill' is the budget reconciliation legislation that the U.S. House sent to the Senate last week, including a Medicaid work requirements provision. Petermann said during the board meeting that South Dakota could perhaps seek to impose its own work requirements, even if the federal legislation passes. 'For example, some of the draft language does include references to things like 'the provisions from the federal legislation cannot be waived,' but we don't know whether that means states still could or couldn't have something that is less or more restrictive, as long as it has the same components,' Petermann said. 'We really don't know for sure yet.' If the state moves forward, it will submit an application to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in July or August. After that, the proposal would go through a federal comment period and application review. The department's next public hearing on the proposed Medicaid work requirements is set for 11 a.m. Central on June 12 at the Sioux Falls office of the Department of Social Services, and online.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
South Dakota coalition forms to oppose Medicaid cuts
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – A new coalition of healthcare professionals, patient advocates, rural leaders and small business owners from across the state is launching 'Hands Off Medicaid – South Dakota' to oppose proposed federal cuts to Medicaid and ACA subsidies. 29-year-old state inmate dead; 9th this year 'This bill represents a complete retreat from decades of bipartisan progress in expanding access to health care,' said Earl Pomeroy, former North Dakota Congressman and Insurance Commissioner in a press release. The group emphasized the proposed cuts would be especially harmful to rural South Dakota health centers. More than 147,000 South Dakotans currently rely on Medicaid, according to the South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS). 'Medicaid gives people access to lifesaving medications and treatments like insulin, asthma inhalers, prenatal care, and cancer screenings. For almost 27,000 South Dakotans, this bill means losing coverage entirely.' said Ben Hanson, Head of Government Affairs for the American Cancer Society – South Dakota in a press release. The coalition formed after the U.S. House passed a budget to cut Medicaid coverage, which would pull coverage from thousands, hurt rural hospital funding, and threaten mental health and addiction services–despite only 9% of SD voters supporting the cuts. 'When coverage rates fall, rural health centers lose critical funding — putting access to primary care, maternal care, dental services, and behavioral health at risk for everyone in those communities.' said Shelley Ten Napel, CEO of the Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas in a press release. The coalition plans to continue expanding in the coming weeks and months, and urges South Dakotans to contact Senators Mike Rounds and John Thune about protecting Medicaid as the budget bill heads to the U.S. Senate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Thousands of sticky notes highlight mental health, 988
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Nearly 1 in 4 adults in South Dakota has experienced a mental illness. That's according to a national survey from two years ago. A new art installation in downtown Sioux Falls is giving people thousands of reminders that they're not alone. Head to the third floor of the Washington Pavilion and you'll find a wall covered in colorful squares. But step a little closer, and you'll notice the sticky notes have messages on them. Amy Carter is the Chief Operating Officer of the Helpline Center. The South Dakota Department of Social Services and the Helpline Center unveiled the art installation last week for Mental Health Awareness Month. 'What I think is most powerful about this wall is it really shows you're not alone,' Helpline Center Chief Operating Officer Amy Carter said. 'Be kind to your mind' and 'I am proud of who I am,' are just a few of the thousands of inspirational messages covering the wall. ''Recovery is a journey,' things take time,' Carter read on the wall. The sticky notes don't just feature messages. Some have drawings or the 988 number. The more than 13,000 sticky notes on the wall represent the thousands of calls, texts, and chats to 988 last year. 'I think this says a lot when you have over 13,000 contacts in one year, and those are just the people who are reaching out to 988. Imagine all the other individuals who either haven't reached out for help or are utilizing other services,' Carter said. The display will remain up through the month of May. 'What we want people to take away is mental health is something we can talk about. It's not an issue we should be ashamed of. Any stigma that's attached to it we want to take that away,' Carter said. Reasons people reach out to 988 include thoughts of suicide and anxiety. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
5 witnesses testify as DSS embezzlement trial begins
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The first day of the criminal trial for a former employee accused of stealing more than $1.7 million from the South Dakota Department of Social Services featured five of the prosecution's witnesses explaining how the alleged crimes occurred. Lonna Carroll, who has pleaded not guilty to two charges of grand theft, listened and sometimes conferred in whispers with her court-appointed defense attorney throughout their testimony. Police: Suspect arrested after shooting officer in SF At one point her attorney, Tim Whalen of Lake Andes, with the jury as well as his client out of the courtroom, objected to all of the exhibits that state prosecutors had introduced or plan to offer as evidence. Whalen argued that the statute of limitations had expired and therefore none of the exhibits were relevant. Carroll is accused of taking a total of $1,777,665.73, on 215 different occasions over 13 years, from what are known as 'own accounts' that the department's Child Protection Services Division maintains for children in its care. Carroll, an administrative assistant in the division, had authorization to both make requests for payments and to authorize those payments. 'I already ruled on that,' Circuit Judge Christina Klinger replied to Whalen, referring to a pre-trial order she had made a few weeks ago, after Whalen had sought dismissal of the charges against Carroll. Whalen told the court on Tuesday that he was renewing the objection so that it would be preserved for an appeal. State Attorney General Marty Jackley and Nolan Welker, an assistant attorney general, presented the trial's first five witnesses. Carrie Watts, who started working in the department's finance division in October 2022. In October 2023, Watts came across oddities when she tried to reconcile amounts in the children's own accounts. Watts took the matter to her supervisor, Bill Regynski. He is accounting and financial reporting manager for the department. Regynski said he looked into the children's own accounts that Watts had drawn to his attention and saw many transactions than normal. He reported it to his superiors, and the state Division of Criminal Investigation was then contacted. Tonia Bogue is the program specialist overseeing the Family and Child Information System, known as FACIS, that the Child Protection Services Division uses. She testified about the screenshots of prior authorization documents used to request money for children's needs such as clothing and bedding. Bogue confirmed that Carroll had authorization to both request and approve those prior authorizations and acknowledged that none of Carroll's supervisors had approved those requests. 'Who should have been looking to make sure that doesn't happen?' Whalen asked Bogue. She replied, 'I don't know.' Project Prison Reset: What's coming first Carroll took checks to the Pierre branch of American Bank & Trust where the Department of Social Services had its local account. Aimee Parsons, the branch manager, said she assisted Carroll many times when Carroll arrived with a check for deposit. Parsons said Carroll would deposit the check, then withdraw the same amount in cash. No one at the bank questioned it because Carroll was authorized by the department, according to Parsons. 'She was authorized to conduct those transactions. It was not for us to say,' Parsons told Whalen. Parsons said Carroll would deposit checks that were more than $10,000 into two accounts. By doing so, the bank wouldn't be required to report any single transaction for more than $10,000 to federal authorities. Known as a currency transaction report, it is intended to identify possible instances of money-laundering. Parsons said she didn't suspect Carroll was engaging in any illegal activities. The fifth witness on Tuesday was Haleigh Nevill, the Banking Secrecy Act and fraud manager for American Bank & Trust in Sioux Falls. She testified about the bank's internal records regarding withdrawals, specifically the debit tickets and cash-out tickets associated with Carroll's transactions. Nevill said the bank didn't specifically monitor Carroll's transactions. Whalen asked whether the bank had a responsibility to report to federal authorities repeated instances of one person coming close to the $10,000 threshold. 'Not that I could recall,' Nevill said. She noted that American Bank & Trust uses an automated monitoring system for when a currency transaction report might be needed. The trial resumes on Wednesday morning and is scheduled to run through Friday. The witness testimony started Tuesday after a jury had been selected that morning. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
South Dakota behavioral health loses federal COVID funds
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Millions of dollars worth of federal COVID-19 relief money will now be terminated from behavioral health initiatives in South Dakota. Jury chosen in DSS embezzlement trial According to the South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS), the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) terminated $2,982,719 in DSS' supplemental block grant awards from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The money supported a range of behavioral health treatment and prevention activities through DSS, said Matt Althoff, DSS Cabinet Secretary, in a statement to KELOLAND News. Although contracts are being terminated or amended, said Althoff, DSS does not anticipate any staff layoffs as a result of these cancellations. According to Althoff, DSS notified vendors and contractors of the immediate end of work and contracts related to these funding streams. The grants would've ended by September 30, 2025, according to the DSS website, Signed by former President Joe Biden in 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act is designed to fiscally aid Americans impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a developing story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
