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Long-term care committee’s work translates into legislative success • South Dakota Searchlight [1]

['Makenzie Huber', 'More From Author', '- March']

Date: 2024-03-11  

Out of the 12 recommendations made by an interim legislative committee studying the sustainability of long-term care in South Dakota, most passed the legislative process or were implemented outside of the Legislature.

That’s a clear success, said committee co-chair Sen. Jean Hunhoff, R-Yankton. Legislators were challenged last year to produce recommendations that would pass through the process, something that summer studies have struggled with in years past. This year’s legislative session ended last week, except for a day on March 25 to consider vetoes.

Concerns surrounding South Dakota’s long term care industry came to a head when several nursing homes closed after the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 15 South Dakota nursing homes have closed since 2017. The facilities cited short staff, rising costs and years of insufficient Medicaid reimbursement.

The problem could worsen as South Dakota’s population ages. As baby boomers near the end of their lives over the next 20 years, an increased demand for long-term care services could strain the industry.

State funding for nursing homes increased by an average of 25% statewide after the Legislature and Gov. Kristi Noem approved more money for them during the 2023 legislative session, which alleviated some short-term funding concerns.

Summer study committees allow legislators to understand a problem and study its challenges and potential solutions. They provide for more informed, effective legislation over time, said Sioux Falls Republican Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt, who co-chaired the committee with Hunhoff.

Priorities outlined by the interim committee ranged from telemedicine grants to making it easier for some out-of-state health care professionals to work in South Dakota.

Hunhoff’s top priority was investing in regionalized nursing homes. The effort, which would have incentivized nursing homes to consolidate, failed.

“I’m not tied to it, but I still believe we have to do something, because we have to have access to those services and we cannot continue to support all the entities that we have out there,” Hunhoff said. “My thought would be that if I get reelected, then we regroup with stakeholders and see if we can find something more acceptable.”

The long-term care sustainability discussion must continue, Rehfeldt said. The committee found there was more demand and need for state investment in facilities and technology than the Legislature appropriated.

The discussion is especially important for facilities that are closely located and fighting for the same workers.

“No one wants to hear that, I don’t want to hear that, communities don’t want to hear that — but those are the facts,” Rehfeldt said. “We just don’t have enough workforce available to take care of our aging individuals.”

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[1] Url: https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/03/11/long-term-care-committees-work-translates-into-legislative-success-sd/

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