Kristi Noem on Health Care

	Kristi Noem on Health Care

Use telemedicine to connect with EMS personnel in the field

We are the first state in the country to implement Telemedicine in Motion. We are using telemedicine to connect physicians, nurses, and paramedics with the EMS personnel in the field. We work with our partners at Avel eCare to do it. There is nothing else like it in the country--and it is saving lives. Nearly 90 ambulance services throughout the state have installed Telemedicine in Motion. Source: 2024 State of the State Address to South Dakota legislature , Jan 9, 2024

Vaccine mandates stand in the way of business expansion

What we are doing in South Dakota is reverberating across this country and around the world. We would be growing even more if there weren't federal mandates preventing companies from coming--and Biden just extended these mandates last week. We are in touch with a company in Canada that wants to move their business to the Black Hills. They want to grow their business and improve their quality of life here in our state. The Biden Administration's vaccine mandates are standing in their way. Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the S.D. legislature , Jan 10, 2023

$1.1M for pregnancy/postpartum care for Medicaid recipients

My budget proposes $1.1 million to help give pregnancy and postpartum care for moms who are Medicaid recipients. Pregnant moms who are at risk of poor birth outcomes will receive intensive care management. This will help moms have a healthy pregnancy--and this care will extend after birth. This proves our commitment to helping moms and families through whatever situations they may face. We will help them and their babies both before birth and after. Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the S.D. legislature , Jan 10, 2023

No to Medicaid expansion; $80 million cost is too high

Noem does not support the expansion of Medicaid, saying it would cost the state $80 million. Noem said she has tried to increase telemedicine to decrease the cost of travel for those who live in rural communities and allow them to have better access to healthcare. She said she has also worked to try and improve transparency with insurance companies, so people know what they will and will not cover.

[Democratic nominee Jamie R. ]Smith said he is in favor of Medicaid expansion, so those in need would have some relief if they were faced with a huge medical bill. Smith says it will not cost as much as Noem claims.

[Libertarian nominee Tracey] Quint said if the voters show they are for Medicaid expansion, then she would deliver. Quint said she would shy away from adding to the state's expenses when it comes to expanding Medicaid but says there are ways the state can save money to fund Medicaid.

Source: KEVN Black Hills Fox on 2022 South Dakota Governor race , Oct 2, 2022

Listen to healthcare professionals for COVID policy

In regards to the pandemic, Smith said by doing little things like using face coverings, we can ensure that people stay healthy and keep businesses open. Smith said 3,000 people died in the state of South Dakota, and it's a larger number per capita than surrounding states. Smith was not using COVID as a political football. He said in a pandemic, we need to work together and speak to doctors to make sure we can stay safe as a community.

Defending her actions during the pandemic, Noem said, "I got up every day thinking of you." She said she talked to health care professionals and listened to their advice.

[Libertarian nominee Tracey] Quint said shutting everything down caused mental health issues. However, contracting COVID caused physical issues. Quint said allowing people to have a personal choice is something she believes in, and the government did not have the authority to impose precautionary actions on South Dakotans.

Source: KEVN Black Hills Fox on 2022 South Dakota Governor race , Oct 2, 2022

Won't vote for Medicaid expansion; will implement if passed

Q: Expanding Medicaid is going to be on the ballot. Will you support that?

NOEM: What that does is make sure that Medicaid expansion would cover able-bodied single individuals that are able to work. It also would include about an $80 million cost to the state.

Q: Will you vote for it?

NOEM: I won't be voting for it myself personally because of the tax increases that would have to happen to pay for it. But if it is passed by the people, I certainly will implement it.

Source: CNN SOTU interviews on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race , Jul 3, 2022

No unconstitutional COVID lockdowns; no mask mandates

In 2020, when most states were shutting down their economies and enforcing unconstitutional lockdowns, we did something different in South Dakota. Our state motto is "Under God, the People Rule." I followed it.

As Governor, I believed the best way to fight a danger to our country was through an informed and free American people who made decisions for themselves. I refused to use unconstitutional powers. We never issued mask mandates. We didn't mandate vaccines. We never kept anybody from going to church. We kept kids in the classroom. I did not arrest, ticket, or fine a single individual for exercising their basic rights. South Dakota was the ONLY state that never even defined what an "essential business" was.

Looking around at the world today, we see fundamental freedoms evaporating because of the COVID lockdowns, but not in South Dakota. We drew a clear line. And the line between tyranny and freedom is getting more clear every day across our country.

Source: Speech at the 2022 CPAC Conference in Orlando FL , Feb 25, 2022

Unvaccinated Americans are still Americans

The COVID vaccination should be a choice. And we should reject the efforts that we're seeing in other parts of the country to divide us into two classes: vaccinated and unvaccinated. Unvaccinated Americans are still Americans. We live in a free country--free to make our own decisions. The government does not get to make them for us. I am bringing legislation to protect the right to a medical or religious exemption from COVID vaccines. We will also recognize natural immunity. Source: 2022 State of the State Address to South Dakota legislature , Jan 11, 2022

COVID: We didn't mandate; we trusted our people

We've got Republican governors across this country pretending they didn't shut down their states, that they didn't close their beaches, that they didn't mandate masks, that they didn't get issue shelter-in-places. Now, I'm not picking fights with Republican governors. All I'm saying is that we need leaders with grit, that their first instinct is to make the right decision. South Dakota did not do any of those. We didn't mandate. We trusted our people. Personal responsibility was the best answer. Source: Speech transcript from 2021 CPAC Conference , Jul 11, 2021

COVID: vaccine passports are oppressive and un-American

Vaccine passports are un-American, according to Gov. Kristi Noem. It's "one of the most un-American ideas in our nation's history," read a tweet posted on Noem's personal account. This is separate from her official governor account on the social media website. "We as Americans should oppose this oppression." She made it clear she doesn't support making vaccination a requirement to get access to certain events, flights and businesses, calling the idea oppressive and at odds with American values. Source: KOTA-TV ABC-3 on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race , Mar 29, 2021

COVID didn't crash the economy; government crushed it

Lots of governors shut down their states. What followed was record unemployment, business is closed, most schools were shuttered and committees suffered. The U.S. economy came to an immediate halt. Let me be clear -- COVID did not crash the economy. Government crushed the economy. South Dakota is the only state in America that never ordered a single business or church to close. We never instituted a shelter-in-place order. We never mandated people wear masks. Source: Remarks by Gov. Noem at the 2021 CPAC Conference , Feb 27, 2021

Make pandemic rules for telehealth permanent

Another tool we greatly expanded access to is telehealth. People have used tech services like these more than 70,000 times in South Dakota's Medicaid program alone. This year, I'm going to ask that you support legislation to make these flexibilities permanent. In 2021, we should build on telehealth advancements and continue to find ways to remove government red tape in health care. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to South Dakota legislature , Jan 12, 2021

Repeal the trillion dollar health care bill

I will work to repeal the trillion dollar health care bill passed this year. The bill puts bureaucrats between patients and their doctor and pays for it with cuts to essential programs like Medicare. This is the wrong direction for health care.

Too man politicians believe that expanding government is the solution to every problem. I will support efforts to fully repeal the health care bill. If full repeal is not possible right away, then we must pursue other options to diminish its effect.

Source: 2010 House campaign website, kristiforcongress.com, "Issues" , Nov 2, 2010

Supports repealing nationalized healthcare law.

Noem supports the CC survey question on repealing healthcare reform

The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.

The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Supports repealing nationalized healthcare law that forces citizens to buy insurance or pay fines."

Source: Christian Coalition Survey 10-CC-q5a on Aug 11, 2010

Repeal the Job-Killing Health Care Law.

Noem co-sponsored Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act

Repeals the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective as of its enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by such Act.

Repeals the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010, effective as of the Act`s enactment. Restores provisions of law amended by the Act`s health care provisions.

Source: H.R.2 11-HR002 on Jan 5, 2011

Fully repealing ObamaCare is important, but not sufficient.

Noem voted YEA Full Repeal of ObamaCare

Heritage Action Summary: This vote would fully repeal ObamaCare.

Heritage Foundation recommendation to vote YES: (2/3/2015): ObamaCare creates $1.8 trillion in new health care spending and uses cuts to Medicare spending to help pay for some of it. Millions of Americans already have lost, and more likely will lose, their coverage because of ObamaCare. Many Americans have not been able to keep their doctors as insurers try to offset the added costs of ObamaCare by limiting the number of providers in their networks. In spite of the promise, the law increases the cost of health coverage.

Secretary of Labor Robert Reich recommendation to vote NO: (robertreich.org 11/22/2013): Having failed to defeat the Affordable Care Act, Republicans are now hell-bent on destroying the ObamaCare in Americans` minds, using the word `disaster` whenever mentioning the Act, and demand its repeal. Democrats [should] meet the Republican barrage with three larger truths:

The wreck of private insurance: Ours has been the only healthcare system in the world designed to avoid sick people. For-profit insurers have spent billions finding and marketing their policies to healthy people--while rejecting people with preexisting conditions, or at high risk.
We could not continue with this travesty of a healthcare system: ObamaCare is a modest solution. It still relies on private insurers--merely setting minimum standards and `exchanges` where customers can compare policies.
The moral imperative: Even a clunky compromise like the ACA between a national system of health insurance and a for-profit insurance market depends, fundamentally, on a social compact in which those who are healthier and richer are willing to help those who are sicker and poorer. Such a social compact defines a society.

Legislative outcome: Passed House 239-186-8; never came to a vote in the Senate.

Source: Congressional vote 15-H0132 on Feb 3, 2015

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