Medicaid work rule · South Dakota · checked 2026-10-20
Medicaid work requirement in South Dakota: what applies to you in 2027
Starting no later than January 2027, most adults 19 to 64 on Medicaid expansion must show 80 hours a month of work, school, volunteering or a work program, or $580 of income, unless the rule does not apply to them. Below is what South Dakota has published about how it will check, with a link to each source. South Dakota decides; this page only explains.
What South Dakota has published
- When it starts
- 2027-01-01 for new applicants. Current recipients are checked at their first regularly scheduled renewal in 2027; the first group is those with certification periods ending 2027-03-31. No soft launch is published.Sources: 1 2 (South Dakota's own pages, listed below) · checked 2026-10-20
- Whether your own word counts in 2027
- Not stated as a 2027 self-attestation policy. The fact sheet says that if DSS cannot verify activities electronically it will request paper documentation or a signed statement from the member. Frailty: providers may be asked to verify diagnoses on form DSS-EA-402. Otherwise not published as of 2026-10-20.Sources: 1 2 (South Dakota's own pages, listed below) · checked 2026-10-20
- How many months it looks back
- Application: the 1 month before applying. Renewal: at least 1 month since the last renewal. Incarceration exclusion: the 3 months before the review period.Sources: 1 2 (South Dakota's own pages, listed below) · checked 2026-10-20
- How often you renew
- 6 months for Medicaid Expansion, effective 2027-01-01 (American Indian and Alaska Native members exempt, 12 months).Sources: 1 2 (South Dakota's own pages, listed below) · checked 2026-10-20
- How it checks medical frailty
- Electronic data first (for example medical claims). If needed, providers verify diagnoses on the DSS-EA-402 Medical Screener Form; providers do not determine ability to work. Frailty includes active SUD (treatment within the last 5 years), impact on at least one ADL, and similar criteria. A provider webinar on physician attestation forms for medically frail recipients is set for 2026-11-04. CMS tiers are not mentioned.Sources: 1 2 (South Dakota's own pages, listed below) · checked 2026-10-20
In South Dakota's own words
“For a new applicant, that’s the one (1) month before you apply. For an ongoing recipient, it’s at least one (1) month since your last renewal.”dss.sd.gov
“If we can’t verify your activities electronically, we will request paper documentation or a signed statement from you.”dss.sd.gov
“However, providers may be asked to verify an individual’s medical diagnoses by completing the DSS-EA-402 Medical Screener Form”dss.sd.gov
Not published yet
South Dakota has not said this yet on the pages checked. Ask your Medicaid office, and keep copies of what you send.
- An explicit 2027 self-attestation policy by category
- Frailty diagnosis list
- CMS tier adoption (pending the 11/4 webinar)
Sources
South Dakota's own Medicaid pages, read on 2026-10-20. The federal rule behind every state is in rules.json, with its own sources.