Health Care is More Than Just Policy, It’s a Human Right.

Medicaid is the foundation of our healthcare system. If South Carolina were to lose Medicaid, more than 1.2 million people would lose their healthcare coverage. This would include seniors in nursing homes, people with disabilities, prenatal care and more than 600,000 kids.

While Medicaid covers a large portion of our population, we continue to have a coverage gap in South Carolina. This is because our state refuses to expand Medicaid. Healthcare Coverage does not stop at state lines. If you are an adult without children or disability, but have low income, or a parent above 67% of poverty ($972.61 for a family of two) you may fall in what is known as the “coverage gap.” Adults in the coverage gap fall between two zones—on the one hand, they do not make enough money to qualify for financial help to buy coverage through the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace. On the other hand, they make too much to be eligible for Medicaid under the income requirements for South Carolina’s current program.

If South Carolina expanded Medicaid, over 188,000 uninsured adults in the state could get health insurance. That would be 40% of all uninsured adults in South Carolina right now.

Visit our Medicaid page for more information about the program. Also visit our Medicaid Project Stories page to hear South Carolina residents talk about both why Medicaid has been an important service for their needs and the challenges many face in getting it due to our current policies.

SC Appleseed fights every day to make sure that low-income South Carolinians can get the services they need to move forward. Help support Medicaid Expansion in South Carolina by sharing the stories being told here and let South Carolina leaders know why expanded Medicaid will help provide quality health care to thousands in the state.