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ple would be eligible for Medicaid if expansion is implemented. Per the Affordable Care Act, approximately 22,000 of these individuals would be able to access tax subsidies to purchase health insurance through the insurance exchanges. Who would these new eligible be? They would be adults without disabilities, single adults, or parents of Medicaid-covered children whose income falls between 52% and 138% of the federal poverty level-in other words- the working low-income individuals.
• There are many questions to be answered, but it would seem to me that if we can cover as many individuals as we can, especially with preventative medical care, everyone wins with lower health care costs and healthier South Dakotans.
• There will also be efforts to restore the funding that was cut from the K-12 education programs and the Medicaid reimbursement programs. We must not accept the current funding levels as the 'new norm'. Our schools, no matter what size, and our local nursing homes are desperately searching for ways to meet the needs of educating our children and to care for the medical needs of our elderly and disabled. I believe the legislature must step up to improve these funding areas of state government.
• Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve you, the residents of District 1. Please feel free to contact me at rep.feickert@state.sd.us or call me at 605-216-3451 with any questions, concerns or comments. If you plan to travel to Pierre during the legislative session, please let me know as I would be honored to meet with everyone from back home in District 1.
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