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(Continued from page 5)
tice laws, increases competition by letting families purchase health insurance across state lines, and allows small businesses to group together so they can get the same buying power as large corporations.
• And I too believe that those with pre-existing conditions, like asthma or cancer, should not be discriminated against when it comes to health care coverage. This legislation would help protect those individuals.
• The Affordable Care Act has long been regarded as unworkable, but the administration's numerous modifications, delays, and changes have shown us all just how unworkable this law really is. It's time to offer relief to all Americans and look at alternatives that give families the tools they need to get covered without the market distortions and financial burdens that come with the Affordable Care Act.
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Addressing Rural Health Care Needs
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:
• Last year, an analysis of photos posted on the Internet determined that South Dakotans smile more than people in any other state. That doesn't surprise me. Living in a rural state inclines us to be trusting and friendly people. After living in Chicago for several years in the 1970s, I found myself missing the friendliness of South Dakota people.
• Preserving our rural way of life is important, and that means, in part, ensuring that health care providers exist in our smaller communities.
• Most of our state's health professionals are concentrated in the more populated areas, while rural areas have been struggling to recruit and retain providers. Fifty-seven of the state's 66 counties are federally designated as health professional shortage areas, either partially or completely.
• If we do nothing, it's likely the shortage will increase as time goes by. As many of our current providers near retirement age, South Dakota will need over 8,000 new health care workers by 2020. This will be a challenge given that our elderly population is expected to double by 2025.
• But it's a challenge I believe we can handle. In fact, we've already made important strides.
• We know that health care providers who were raised, educated and trained in rural South Dakota are more likely to stay in those smaller communities. That is why we've expanded rural health care incentives programs and increased the capacity of our educational programs.
• Two years ago, we allocated funding to establish the Frontier and Rural Medicine, or FARM, program to give third-year medical students a nine-month experi (Continued on page 7)
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