Without expanding Medicaid, uninsured kid's numbers fall

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - A report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families shows South Dakota’s rate of uninsured kids dropped 9% last year.

Carole Cochran with South Dakota Kid’s Count, says while the state did not expand Medicaid, South Dakota is making progress.

Nationally, the number of uninsured children dropped to a historic low of 6% last year, with South Dakota at 5.7%. 

Joan Alker, executive director of the Center for Children and Families, says unlike South Dakota, states that chose to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act saw the sharpest drops.

The reports also found that rural areas tend to have higher rates of uninsured kids.

(Thanks to Greater Dakota News Service)