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ple, 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 by 2020.
• Hospitals have said they are unable to collect about $90 million a year from low-income patients who have no insurance and are unable to pay their bills. Hospital officials have said they then charge insured patients more to offset losses in charity care.
• At Tuesday's hearing, Erik Nelson of South Dakota AARP said a Medicaid expansion would help about 4,200 South Dakotans between the ages of 50 and 64 who are too young to get Medicare but have lost insurance because they became unemployed or underemployed during the economic downturn.
• "Most of those who would be eligible with a Medicaid expansion are hard-working South Dakotans who have paid into the system all their lives but are now struggling to make ends meet," Nelson said.
• Dr. Mikel Holland of Pierre said many low-income people without insurance avoid getting tests because they cannot afford the cost.
• "These people are falling through the cracks," Holland said.
• Former state lawmaker Lora Hubbel of Sioux Falls, a nurse, said she opposes Medicaid because she believes government interference in health care has driven up costs. The best way to control costs would be for people to pay for their own visits to doctors, she said.
• "Having seen it over the years, I think it's a corrupt system. Why would we be expanding a corrupt system?" Hubbel said.
•

• South Dakota youth's oil painting selected to appear on Federal Junior Duck Stamp
• SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- An oil painting created by a 6-year-old South Dakota youth has been selected to appear on the 2013-2014 Federal Junior Duck Stamp.
• The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that a panel of judges selected the oil painting created by Madison Grimm, of Burbank, for the stamp.
• Proceeds from sales of the $5 Junior Duck Stamp support environmental education.

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