Medicaid expansion early enrollment being accepted

Enrollment for South Dakota Medicaid expansion officially begins in South Dakota on July 1, but the South Dakota Department of Social Services will begin allowing applications for potential participants on June 1.

AARP South Dakota, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association and the Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas are working together to educate individuals and families who may be eligible for Medicaid coverage under expansion about the application and enrollment process.

Individuals and families interested in learning more about coverage options can visit www.GetCoveredSouthDakota.org. There they can connect with a local navigator, a trained and certified individual who can offer free support. Navigators are required to provide fair, impartial and accurate information about health insurance options, including Medicaid. Individuals and families can also call 211, the South Dakota Helpline, for additional information, as well.

In November 2022, South Dakota voters approved Constitutional Amendment D by a wide margin, which expanded Medicaid in the state. Amendment D opened Medicaid benefits to any person over 18 and under 65 who earns less than $20,120 per year or a family of four earning less than $41,400 per year. The South Dakota Department of Social Services estimates that roughly 52,000 South Dakotans will be newly eligible for coverage beginning July 1.

June 2, 2023