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VIEWPOINT | South Dakotans are paying the price for rising hospital costs

Guest column by Chris Hintz, business owner

Sep 14, 2025
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South Dakotans are feeling financial pressure on everything from gas to groceries, but there may be an unexpected culprit behind higher prices on goods and services: hospital costs.

Over the last year, the cost of employer-sponsored health coverage has risen 7 percent. In fact, employers are paying, on average, $25,572 a year for family coverage - the cost equivalent of an economy car. At the root of this rise is the enormous amount that Americans spend on hospital care each year. Hospital costs are the single largest driver of healthcare spending in America; $1 in every $3 spent on healthcare goes towards hospitals.

Viewpoints

VIEWPOINT | South Dakota manufacturers need Trump's tariff protection

Sep 11
VIEWPOINT | South Dakota manufacturers need Trump's tariff protection

During a recent press conference, Senator John Thune remarked, “I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that businesses like Showplace Cabinetry in Harrisburg, South Dakota, have on the local community. Manufacturing businesses provide good paying jobs and opportunities for so many hardworking Americans, and it is critical that they have the regulatory certainty that they need to thrive.”

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