More Insurance Now Available in S. D.

A Sioux Falls, S.D. insurance company plans to begin selling individual health-insurance policies next month, a move that could increase competition among insurance providers.

DakotaCare will join eight other firms that offer individual health coverage.

The state has worked to create a better environment for insurance providers after many providers pulled out. From 1990 to 2003, more than 20 companies stopped writing individual health policies in the state.

“When you have companies competing for your business, they improve their services to attract and keep you,” said Merle Scheiber, the South Dakota director of insurance.

Companies were reluctant to offer coverage because of the state’s dependence on the guaranteed-issue program that mandated companies take on a certain amount of high-cost or uninsurable individuals, he said.