Latest news with #SouthDakotaSearchlight
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a day ago
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Amid national outbreak, South Dakota reports its first measles case of the year
A nurse readies an MMR vaccine at Sanford Children's Hospital in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) A national measles outbreak has reached South Dakota. The state Department of Health on Monday reported the first measles case of the year. The infected person is a Meade County adult who 'visited several public locations,' according to the department's news release. The department said people may have been exposed to measles in the Rapid City Medical Center Urgent Care waiting room from 7:15 a.m. to 10 a.m. Mountain time on May 28 and the Monument Health Sturgis Urgent Care waiting room from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mountain time on May 29. People who were in those settings should self-monitor for measles symptoms for 21 days, the department said. 'I question it myself': South Dakota vaccination rates fall amid mistrust and misinformation Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through the air from an infected person. People who lack immunity from vaccination or past infection are at high risk of measles infection if they have contact with an infected person. Measles symptoms appear in two stages. In the first stage, the individual may have a runny nose, cough and a slight fever. The eyes may become reddened and sensitive to light while the fever consistently rises each day. The second stage begins on the third to seventh day of symptoms and consists of a temperature of 103-105 degrees Fahrenheit, and a red blotchy rash lasting for four to seven days. The rash usually begins on the face and then spreads down to the trunk and out to the arms and legs. The department said the measles vaccine 'offers the best protection against infection and avoids the risks that come with infection.' The department said the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine 'is highly effective at preventing measles infection, and two MMR doses usually produce lifelong immunity.' According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a measles vaccination rate of 95% is needed to prevent outbreaks, given the highly contagious nature of the virus. Vaccination rates have been falling in South Dakota, where incoming kindergarteners are required to be up to date on the MMR vaccine unless they have a medical or religious exemption. Ten years ago, six South Dakota counties had less than 95% of kindergarteners vaccinated for measles, with the lowest being 80%. Now, more than 40 counties in the state are below 95%, with 12 below 80% and five below 70%. The South Dakota measles case comes amid the most severe U.S. measles outbreak in decades. According to the CDC, there had been more than 1,000 measles cases detected this year across 33 states prior to the detection in South Dakota. Last year, South Dakota reported its first measles case in nine years. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
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4 days ago
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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.
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5 days ago
- General
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Prison drug smuggling ring busted, state corrections officials say
A photo taken at 3 a.m. on March 29, 2024, shows interior lights in the South Dakota State Penitentiary's East Hall. The lights stayed on after a night of unrest. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) Following a protest in response to a string of violence and deaths at state prisons and amid continuing talks about potential prison construction, South Dakota officials say they've busted a ring of drug smuggling in prison facilities and imposed a non-contact visit policy. No drug charges have been filed, according to a Thursday news release from the state Department of Corrections, which said an investigation is ongoing involving its Inspector General's Office, the state Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. postmaster general. 'If the results of the investigation warrant prosecution, criminal charges will be sought,' the news release said. 'We will continue to counter every attempt to introduce dangerous contraband into our facilities.' 10 injured in prison violence days after protests over security and inmate treatment The news release said three methods of drug delivery into prisons were identified and stopped: Through the use of counterfeit packages imitating well-known manufacturers with drugs sent in through the packages. Through false use of the privileged mail system, such as counterfeit legal mail. And through the actions of visitors, including family members and friends, bringing drugs into the prison during visitation. The press release went on to say that three inmate deaths — one in February and two this month — were linked to drug overdoses on the penitentiary campus in Sioux Falls. The Department of Corrections has also imposed non-contact visits for family and friends of inmates 'in certain facilities,' the press release said. It also said 'non-contact visits may be expanded to other prison facilities' and 'additional policy changes are also under review.' 'We wanted to ensure that the public is aware of the work that has been done in these cases. We are taking action to keep staff and inmates safe,' said a quote in the news release from Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko. The drug investigation is occurring against the backdrop of activism against prison conditions and inmate treatment, including a protest Friday by about 50 people. Meanwhile, the state's Project Prison Reset task force is considering plans to construct new prison facilities. The group's next meeting is Tuesday in Pierre. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
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5 days ago
- Health
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Prison drug smuggling ring busted, state corrections officials say
A photo taken at 3 a.m. on March 29, 2024, shows interior lights in the South Dakota State Penitentiary's East Hall. The lights stayed on after a night of unrest. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) Following a protest in response to a string of violence and deaths at state prisons and amid continuing talks about potential prison construction, South Dakota officials say they've busted a ring of drug smuggling in prison facilities and imposed a non-contact visit policy. No drug charges have been filed, according to a Thursday news release from the state Department of Corrections, which said an investigation is ongoing involving its Inspector General's Office, the state Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. postmaster general. 'If the results of the investigation warrant prosecution, criminal charges will be sought,' the news release said. 'We will continue to counter every attempt to introduce dangerous contraband into our facilities.' 10 injured in prison violence days after protests over security and inmate treatment The news release said three methods of drug delivery into prisons were identified and stopped: Through the use of counterfeit packages imitating well-known manufacturers with drugs sent in through the packages. Through false use of the privileged mail system, such as counterfeit legal mail. And through the actions of visitors, including family members and friends, bringing drugs into the prison during visitation. The press release went on to say that three inmate deaths — one in February and two this month — were linked to drug overdoses on the penitentiary campus in Sioux Falls. The Department of Corrections has also imposed non-contact visits for family and friends of inmates 'in certain facilities,' the press release said. It also said 'non-contact visits may be expanded to other prison facilities' and 'additional policy changes are also under review.' 'We wanted to ensure that the public is aware of the work that has been done in these cases. We are taking action to keep staff and inmates safe,' said a quote in the news release from Secretary of Corrections Kellie Wasko. The drug investigation is occurring against the backdrop of activism against prison conditions and inmate treatment, including a protest Friday by about 50 people. Meanwhile, the state's Project Prison Reset task force is considering plans to construct new prison facilities. The group's next meeting is Tuesday in Pierre. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
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5 days ago
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Health care advocates form coalition urging Republicans to take their ‘Hands Off Medicaid'
Shelly Ten Napel, CEO of the Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas, participates in a debate on Sept. 19, 2024, at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell. She is part of a new coalition opposing cuts to Medicaid. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight) A group of South Dakota health care advocates launched a 'Hands Off Medicaid' coalition Thursday, pleading with the state's all-Republican congressional delegation to avoid proposed cuts. Medicaid is a federal-state health care program for low-income people. A U.S. House-approved budget reconciliation bill would reduce the program by $625 billion over 10 years under an estimate by the Congressional Budget Office. Shelley Ten Napel, CEO of the Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas, is a member of Hands Off Medicaid. 'The proposed cuts will be especially harmful to rural South Dakota,' Ten Napel said. '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.' U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, voted for the bill last week. It's now under consideration by the Senate. 'This bill is a strong conservative work product, and one that is long overdue,' Johnson said last week in a press release. 'It delivers a historic spending reduction and roots out abuse of federal programs. These changes are a meaningful attempt to turn our fiscal house in the right direction.' SD Rep. Johnson votes yes as U.S. House Republicans push through budget reconciliation bill Hands Off Medicaid's introductory press conference included Democrat Earl Pomeroy, who served as a U.S. representative for North Dakota from 1993 to 2011. He said millions of Americans could lose care. 'This bill represents a complete retreat from decades of bipartisan progress in expanding access to health care,' Pomeroy said. 'It will drive up the number of uninsured South Dakotans and leave rural hospitals drowning in tens of millions of dollars in uncompensated care.' That fear is shared by retired family physician Tom Dean. Born and raised near Wessington Springs, he retired after 43 years of practice and still lives in the small South Dakota town. 'I'm really frightened about the impact it will have on nursing homes,' Dean said. About 147,000 South Dakotans are enrolled in Medicaid. The advocates said 49% of seniors and people with disabilities receive nursing home and community-based care through Medicaid. They also say one out of four births in the state is covered by Medicaid. 'Medicaid is a major payer for prenatal, delivery and postpartum care,' Dean said. 'And that's a major concern, especially in rural areas, but across the country. This country has an alarmingly high maternal mortality rate.' The U.S. maternal mortality rate in 2022 was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to a report from the Commonwealth Fund, compared to zero in Norway, 1.2 in Switzerland, 3.4 in Japan, 3.5 in Germany, and 8.4 in Canada. Shannon Bacon is the director of external affairs at Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas. She said access to obstetric care is declining across the state because fewer facilities are offering those services, in part because it 'typically is a money-loser for hospitals, and especially for small rural hospitals that are already financially stressed.' 'And if we lose Medicaid coverage, it will make that problem even worse,' Bacon said. 'And as a result, it will have a direct impact on outcomes.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill includes a policy change that would require Medicaid enrollees who are between the ages of 19 and 65 to work, participate in community service, or attend an educational program at least 80 hours a month. The language has numerous exceptions, including for pregnant women, parents of dependent children, people who have complex medical conditions, tribal community members, those in the foster care system, people who were in foster care who are below the age of 26, and individuals released from incarceration in the last 90 days, among others. Meanwhile, South Dakota officials are considering imposing their own work requirements on adult Medicaid expansion enrollees who don't qualify for a list of exceptions. 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. The first of two public hearings on the state's Medicaid expansion work requirements proposal is at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the state Department of Social Services in Pierre. States Newsroom's D.C. Bureau contributed to this report. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
