Saturday,  March 9, 2013 • Vol. 14--No. 233 • 44 of 53 •  Other Editions

(Continued from page 43)

charity care, he said.
• South Dakota's Medicaid program now covers about 116,000 children, adults and disabled people. The expanded eligibility would add an estimated 48,000 people, mostly adults without children.
• People earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level would be covered by the expansion, which the federal government would fully cover through 2016. The state's contribution would rise in stages to 10 percent of the medical costs, but the state would have to spend some extra money to manage the larger program.
• Daugaard would like to expand Medicaid to cover only those adults earning up to 100 percent of the poverty level. That would add only about 24,000 to the program. The other 22,000 will be eligible to get subsidized insurance through the insurance exchanges set up in the federal health care law.
• Bowman said those people who qualify for subsidized insurance would only have to pay 2 percent of their income to get that insurance.
• Adelstein said the state could expand Medicaid coverage but withdraw that coverage if the federal government eventually breaks its promise to pay most of the cost.
• But Rep. Mark Mickelson, R-Sioux Falls, said it's difficult to take away a benefit after people get used to it.
• Mickelson said he doubts the federal government will be able to meet its commitment to pay nearly all the cost of the Medicaid expansion.
• "I am hesitant to make a decision bases on someone's promise to pay when I don't think over the long haul they're going to be in any position to honor it," Mickelson said.

SD Highway Patrol dog retires after 11 years

• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- The South Dakota Highway Patrol is retiring its explosive-sniffing Belgian sheepdog.
• Jet started his career with the Highway Patrol in 2003 as a police service dog trained to detect odors of different compounds that could be used to construct explosive devices.
• Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Craig Price says Jet has been used to sweep through the State Capitol building and other locations. He also helped to detect recently fired weapons during various events, like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
• Jet's official retirement day was Wednesday.
• His handler, Lt. Scott Sheldon, says Jet is a social dog but becomes focused when on duty. Jet will be released from South Dakota service and into the care of

(Continued on page 45)

© 2012 Groton Daily Independent • To send correspondence, click here.