2nd Important Message From S.C. Hospital Association

If federal health care reform is repealed, South Carolinians will suffer the following consequences:

• Drastic cuts to the Medicaid and Medicare programs would lead to the closure of many hospital services and programs on which South Carolinians rely.

• Senior citizens would no longer be eligible for a 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part D or the $250 check going out this year to help fill the donut hole. Seniors would also lose the new benefit of annual wellness check-ups.

• 477,000 South Carolinians would lose the benefit of premium tax credits to help them afford coverage for their families.

• 57,900 small businesses (which now pay 18% more for health insurance than large businesses) would lose the benefit of a small-business tax credit to help them make affordable health coverage available to their workers.

• 613,000 South Carolinians (14% of the population) living in underserved areas would not benefit from new incentives to encourage primary-care providers to move to their underserved areas.

• 4,700 primary care physicians in South Carolina would not receive a 5%-10% reimbursement adjustment to help cover the cost of providing primary and preventative care.

• 58,500 early retirees who currently have insurance through their former employers would lose the security of an early-retiree reinsurance program to help keep their insurance in place.

• Health insurers would not be required to cover children with cancer or other pre-existing conditions.

• Adult children up to age 26 would no longer be eligible for coverage on their parents’ insurance plans.

• Annual and lifetime limits could be imposed on your insurance coverage.

• Coverage for individuals could be cancelled when they get sick.

• Persons with pre-existing conditions could be refused coverage.

• Insurers would not be required to fully cover preventative services, including colorectal screenings, immunizations, pap smears, mammograms and cholesterol screenings.