South Dakota Health Insurance Improvement Plan
The South Dakota Department of Health (http://doh.sd.gov) recently released a report detailing how the state plans to improve its health insurance care by 2020. It aims to “promote, protect, and improve the health and well-being of all South Dakotans.”
The guiding principles for improving health insurance in South Dakota are:
- To reduce health disparities
- To maximize the use of technology
- To emphasize quality customer service
- To work in partnership
Some of the highlights from this report include:
- Improving the health behaviours of South Dakotans to reduce chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.
- Strengthening the health care delivery system in South Dakota
- Strengthen South Dakota’s response to current and emerging public health threats
- Improve the outcome of births and the health of infants, children and adolescents in South Dakota
South Dakota Health Insurance Exchange
The federal Affordable Care Act mandates a health insurance exchange that will serve as a one-stop shop for affordable health insurance plans to South Dakotans in need of health insurance.
Small business in South Dakota can also purchase group health insurance at much more affordable rates than in the past.
The health insurance exchange will allow individuals below certain income levels to obtain health insurance that is tax subsidized, and reduced by cost-sharing between health insurance companies and the federal or state government. When South Dakotans apply for health insurance via the exchange, they will also be screened for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, as part of improving the customer service process and increasing access to health care services.
South Dakota received a $1 million planning grant to help South Dakota create the pathway for the exchange. The state plans to administer a web portal for applications and a phone hotline to make it smoother to field the new customers.
South Dakota Health Insurance Alert Network
The South Dakota Health Alert Network (SDHAN) (http://doh.sd.gov/Prepare/SDHAN.aspx) is a web-based messaging system that alerts using e-mail, fax, phone, pages and text messages to provide timely alert messages to registered users.
The messaging system works this way:
- Alerting system communicates pertinent information to SDHAN members.
- The public directory locates the members by name or by title.
- A collaboration tool maintains up-to-date communications between members and health care organizations.
This alert exchange is an initiative as part of improving South Dakota’s health insurance system.
South Dakota Health Insurance Risk Pool
The South Dakota Health Insurance Risk Pool (http://riskpool.sd.gov/) is a group of South Dakota health insurance companies that have pooled their responsibility of assuming risk, thereby protecting a single insurance company from assuming all the risk.
This works in the favour of South Dakotans who cannot otherwise find private or public health insurance, because they can now find health insurance, though often at a higher cost.
The South Dakota risk pool has the following eligibility requirements for three types of groups below. All applicants must be resident of South Dakota and must apply for new health insurance within 2 months of losing or ending their last health insurance policy. All other health insurance options must be exhausted.
- Loss of Coverage for adults and children
- Uninsurable child under age 19
- Lifetime maximum benefit for adults and children
If you fit into any of these groups, the risk pool may be for you. NOTE: you will be paying higher premiums with this type of health insurance.
Check to see what discounts you are eligible for to lower your monthly health insurance payments.
