Noem touts telehealth, mental‑health facilities and support for workforce; Democrats warn on Medicaid work requirements

Governor Kristi Noem emphasized several health‑care initiatives in her State of the State address, including telehealth in ambulances, regional mental‑health facilities and expanded career supports for Medicaid recipients while backing work requirements enabled by a voter‑approved amendment.

Noem said the state “created a first in the nation initiative that put telehealth services into the backs of our ambulances” and credited such programs with increasing access in rural areas. She also said the state had “created regional mental health facilities across our state to get South Dakotans care closer to their homes.”

Noem referenced Amendment F, which South Dakota voters passed in November, saying that it “allows for future work requirements under Medicaid expansion.” She said the Department of Social Services will use South Dakota CareerLink to connect individuals with job training and supports. “We’re going to connect them with the training, the guidance, and the support that they need to find a stable and a meaningful career,” Noem said.

Democratic lawmakers responded in interviews after the speech. Representative Erin Healy said her caucus opposes new work requirements and that they would “harm South Dakotans” by creating barriers to care and employment. Healy reiterated that health‑care access and affordability remain Democratic priorities for the session.

Details and figures mentioned: Noem said a decline in nurse shortages included “the number of nurses working in South Dakota has increased by at least 1,100 across all nursing classifications,” and highlighted state enforcement of transparency from health insurers.

Next steps: Lawmakers will consider statutory language and appropriations in committee hearings. Noem’s reference to Amendment F signals that sponsors may pursue enabling legislation or administrative changes to implement work‑requirement policies; specific bill text, target populations and enforcement mechanisms were not specified during the address.