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Public Policy Initiatives 2008 - South
Dakota
Despite increasing costs, South Dakota ranks among the best states in
terms of the number of residents who have health insurance. Various proposals
that would create a new federal role in the regulation of the business
of insurance have been offered. Many of these threaten the continued
viability of the private health insurance market in South Dakota and
weaken the traditional state regulatory authority over health insurance
entities. Sustaining and strengthening the current state-regulated health
insurance model that has produced the high level of coverage is vital
for both Wellmark and its customers in South Dakota.
Initiatives
Strengthen the Private Health Insurance Market in South Dakota
- Support efforts to preserve state-based regulation of the health
insurance market. Resist proposals at the federal and state levels
to exempt insurance risk bearing entities from state regulation or
that impede state regulatory oversight of the health insurance market.
- Support initiatives to improve the continued viability of the small
group market in South Dakota. Oppose proposals that would serve to
further segment the small group market in South Dakota and reduce broad
risk-sharing.
- Support proposals that improve the ability of the individual market
in South Dakota to meet the needs of consumers for affordable health
insurance products and services, e.g. provide greater flexibility for
carriers to offer lower cost options to consumers in the individual
market.
- Support broad risk spreading of the costs of high risk individuals
in South Dakota, including state subsidy of mandated risk pools, so
that high-risk consumers continue to have access to health insurance
coverage.
- Support fair and equitable oversight of the health insurance/managed
care market and adequate funding of state insurance regulatory agencies.
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