COLUMBIA, S.C. — As more states expand access to Medicaid, some South Carolina lawmakers are pushing to examine the program's pros and cons. The state remains one of the 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid coverage to include all adults living below the federal poverty line.
Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, is leading the effort to create a legislative committee dedicated to improving healthcare access in South Carolina.
“We are lurching towards single-payer coverage if we don’t do something to improve the healthcare market. So that’s why this is so important,” Davis said.
Davis, who proposed the one-year law in the Senate's version of the state budget, insists he is neither for nor against Medicaid expansion but believes the conversation is necessary.
“It’s important that we go ahead and have an open mind on everything, that we put all the facts on the table, and have an honest discussion. We owe that to the people of South Carolina,” Davis said during last month’s Senate budget debate.
The proposed committee would consist of members from both the House and Senate, as well as medical professionals. It would focus on various ways to improve healthcare access, including increasing the number of physicians, lowering drug prices, relieving medical debt, and possibly expanding Medicaid. The committee would be required to report its recommendations by Dec. 1.
Advocates for Medicaid expansion, such as Sue Berkowitz from the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center, see this initiative as a positive development.
“This is going to be the first time we would ever be looking at everything holistically. We can also look at, is Medicaid expansion affordable? And what would it mean for the state, for our employers, and for our healthcare providers,” Berkowitz said.
Despite support from some quarters, the initiative faces significant opposition in the Republican-dominated legislature.
Governor Henry McMaster’s spokesperson stated:
“Governor McMaster does not believe that Medicaid expansion needs to be studied. Rather than obligating future generations of South Carolina taxpayers to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in additional costs, the state’s emphasis should be on reducing poverty and expanding prosperity, thereby reducing the need for Medicaid assistance.”
The proviso still needs final approval in the upcoming budget negotiations. Davis remains optimistic that the House will agree to keep the proposal in the budget.
As of March 1, nearly 1.2 million South Carolinians were enrolled in the state’s full Medicaid program, according to the state’s Medicaid agency.