S.C. is one of 10 states expected to be the most affected by a possible $834 billion Medicaid funding cut that would take place over the next 10 years. The budget slash is part of the White House administration’s effort to repeal + replace the Affordable Care Act.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation analysis, here’s why S.C.’s one of the most at-risk:

💸 S.C. has 4th highest federal match rate, a.k.a the federal government contributes *a lot* more money to our Medicaid program compared to other states – about $2.50 for each dollar the S.C. government spends.

💸 Low taxable resources per capita + low average personal income

💸 Large coverage gap, a.k.a many South Carolinians don’t quite qualify for Medicaid, but do not receive medical insurance at work + can’t afford to buy insurance from a private company

💸 Poor access to health care: 16% of adults in our state don’t go to the doctor because of high costs, which lowers the state’s overall health.

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a health care plan in the next few weeks, but will not release a draft prior to their final decision. The proposal would limit individual Medicaid spending, and S.C. lawmakers will then decide how the money is allocated.

4 min read / Post & Courier