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        The term "Zaniya" comes from the Lakota language for "healthy" or "well in health." The goal of the Zaniya Project Task Force will be to develop a plan to provide access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance to all South Dakota residents. The task force was born out of the passage of HB 1169 during the 2007 Legislative Session.

The task force will strive to do no harm to the existing system that has successfully insured 91% of the population, but the members will also seek to define problems and propose solutions for the remaining 61,000 South Dakotans without medical insurance.

It will take a team effort of employers, health care providers, the insurance industry, tribal health representatives, state government and many others to reach this important goal. Fortunately, the diverse membership of the task force is well positioned to provide both the experience and the imagination to identify effective and responsible solutions.

The monthly Zaniya Task Force meetings are a forum meant to generate serious discussion among task force members leading to the creation of a plan addressing the uninsured and a final report by September 30, 2007.

Fast Facts:

• A 2001 survey found the uninsured rate to be 8.1% in South Dakota, and a follow-up survey in 2004 put the rate at 8.5%
• South Dakotans spend $5,560 on health care per capita, which is roughly the same as the national average ($5,283) when controlled for factors such as our aged population.

We have an opportunity with the Zaniya Task Force to take a careful look at our current health care and health insurance environment in South Dakota. We have a system that truly works, but we can make it better.

I have asked Lt. Governor Dennis Daugaard to lead the Zaniya Task Force as chairman and I am pleased with the well-respected professional membership of the task force. They share a commitment to accomplish the goal of developing a plan to provide additional access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance for South Dakota residents.
The Zaniya Task Force members have agreed to examine South Dakota's uninsured population and will study opportunities...