South Dakota's lawmakers are making their statements about the federal health care overhaul.  Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin voted against the House version of the bill last week.

And Thursday, elected leaders from South Dakota met in Sioux Falls to talk about the proposed federal health care overhaul legislation.  In a panel discussion, Governor Mike Rounds and Senator John Thune spoke out about the health care bill that passed the House. 

The two Republicans have a lot of concerns on what it would mean to South Dakota and the rest of the country.

Thune says the health care reform bills in the U.S. House and Senate share a common trait: high costs.

"They all raise insurance premiums for people in this country. Now, I don't know how you call that reform," Thune said.

Thune and Rounds agree it's something lawmakers on Capitol Hill need to address.

Rounds says the state spends $265 million on Medicaid alone. But the House bill would expand Medicaid to more South Dakotans, which would cost the state and additional $33 million.

"You have to go back and start taking away the hidden costs on the private sector that the federal government is dumping on us, with the increasing amount of people eligible for Medicaid. Unless they're going to find a way to pay the bill. And right now, they're making promises that they can't keep," Rounds said. 

He says that cost is passed on to the taxpayer.

"Other insurance prices go up because the health care costs will have to go up. When you have health care costs go up, that means the premiums people pay go up, to pick up the costs associated with the payments that are not on Medicaid. That's the challenge that we see in South Dakota," Rounds said.

Meanwhile, Thune says depending on earnings, the House bill could increase taxes to some small businesses and individuals who don't provide coverage.

"So if you're a small business, and you're paying these tax rates, almost half of every dollar you earn, is going to the federal government," Thune said.

Which is why they're calling for more changes before a bill makes its way to the president's desk.

Thune says versions of the bill are being negotiated behind closed doors, but the Senate plans to debate the legislation next week. The hope is have a bill ready by the end of next month.

We also contacted Senator Johnson.  His office released the following statement: 
Throughout this past year of debate, a great amount of bipartisan work and discussions have gone into health care reform efforts in Congress to craft reform that will lower overall health costs and extend affordable coverage to all Americans. While the House has passed their version of health care reform, the Senate still awaits a final bill for floor consideration. There are many steps to go before we have a final bill through both chambers. However, the path our nation is on currently is simply unsustainable as health care costs continue to swallow up a growing portion of our national economy. States and businesses owners, large and small, are already forced to make hard budgetary decisions every day as health care costs have exploded. Reform efforts will cover more Americans, place a greater focus on cutting costs and end discriminatory practices by actually covering pre-existing conditions.