South Dakota legislators and businesses alike have been looking for solutions to bring low cost medical coverage to residents of the state.  As debate over healthcare and health insurance reform continue across the country, and so called Universal Health Insurance Plans have gone into effect in states such as Massachusetts, South Dakotans have kept a watchful eye on all developments. The task force set up by the Governor to report on the state of health insurance in South Dakota is poised to deliver its finding come September.

So far when it comes to solutions expected to be presented by the committee to bring affordable medical coverage to all residents of South Dakota, suggestions indicate government will always play a roll. But members of the task force have said that the state and federal budgets cannot be expected to provide all of the funding necessary to see that all residents have access to low cost medical coverage.

Government programs such as the recently renewed Children’s Health Insurance Plans and Medicaid will undoubtedly play a role in getting more residents with adequate health insurance, but they cannot foot the entire bill, said Republican Senator Tom Dempster.  Demptser helped form the Zaniya Task Force which is so named for the Dakota word for “Health and Well-Being”. The task force made up of over 50 members from a variety of disciplines is charged with developing a plan complete with timeline, actions, and sources of funding to provide affordable health insurance to South Dakota residents who lack health insurance coverage.  The task force is lead by Lt. Governor Dennis Daugaard. The group first met in April and has until September to come up with the plan.

One clear incentive that the Task Force will be pushing is to get those who qualify to sign up for existing programs. There are many residents who qualify for low cost heath insurance options such as Medicaid and SCHIP that simply have not enrolled because they do not know that they are entitled to such health insurance. Part of the Task Forces plan will certainly involve a public education program targeted at boosting enrolments.

Other parts of the plan expected to be proposed will be incentives to take personal responsibility in the form of penalties for those who choose to go without medical insurance and tax breaks and Incentives to small business who Provide affordable health insurance coverage.

But exactly how far the Task Force is willing to go in emulating such programs like those which have gone into effect recently in Massachusetts, will only be revealed come the fall.