Medicaid Enrollments Rebound in August; SD Keeping Low-Income Residents Healthy at $72.6M Per Month

The Legislative Research Council just issued the July and August reports on Medical Services Data and Trends, which tell us how much South Dakota and Uncle Sam are spending on Medicaid and for how many South Dakotans. Total enrollment in Medicaid, child Medicaid, and CHIP dropped 1.7% from March to July, then bounced back a bit (half a percentage point) in August, but remains below the 12-month average of 119,424—about 14% of South Dakotans getting their health coverage from government.

62,824 South Dakotans used those government-financed health care services at a cost of $79.1 million. That’s 9% higher than the twelve-month average of $72.6 million. Uncle Sam covers nearly 62% of that bill and the $1.03 billion we’ve budgeted for all Medicaid services this fiscal year.

In the sheer coincidence department, in the eight fiscal years from FY2002 to FY2009, the years we may describe as the Bush II economy, the average yearly rate of increase in Medicaid enrollments in South Dakota was 4.37%. From FY2010 to FY2017, the years we may describe as the Obama economy, Medicaid enrollments increased at an average yearly rate of 1.81%. The highest enrollment increases under each President happened immediately post-recession: 10.42% in FY2002 and 6.20% in FY2010.

This health care brought to you and tens of thousands of your neighbors by your government and by taxpayers like you. Well done, citizens!