Could SC expand Medicaid? New group says NC shows it can get done

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – South Carolina remains one of 10 states that have opted to not expand Medicaid since it became an option about a decade ago.

A newly formed coalition of dozens of nonprofits and organizations are now calling on lawmakers to change that, but they face substantial opposition.

Medicaid expansion has long been something of a third rail at the South Carolina State House.

But supporters point to another state with a Republican-dominated legislature to show how it can get done: North Carolina.

“It wasn’t easy. It took us 10 years to get there,” North Carolina Republican state representative Donny Lambeth said during a news conference Tuesday in Columbia.

Since last December, the state of North Carolina reports more than half a million people have signed up for coverage under its newly expanded Medicaid eligibility.

A report the group Cover SC recently commissioned found around 340,000 South Carolinians could benefit from Medicaid expansion.

“Most are workers who don’t qualify for Medicaid but make too little to afford private insurance,” Teresa Arnold, the group’s co-chair, said.

When states expand Medicaid eligibility, the federal government covers 90% of the cost, while states are on the hook for the other 10%.

South Carolina’s share for the first year is around $270 million, but by year 10, it is estimated to grow to more than $380 million dollars.

But North Carolina crafted a deal in which hospitals pick up that 10% through an annual tax.

“We’ve constructed this in a way that’s not costing the state of North Carolina a single penny,” North Carolina Republican state senator Kevin Corbin said.

Earlier this year, Governor Henry McMaster vetoed an effort to take a closer look at South Carolina’s healthcare market, including Medicaid expansion.

The Republican governor remains firmly opposed to the option.

“This is our state,” McMaster told reporters Tuesday. “We have to do the right thing in our state, and to be taking taxpayer dollars from our citizens and be giving them to able-bodied, childless adults, childless, able-bodied adults, is not a wise expenditure of that money.”

But South Carolinian Cliff Arnold said people like him would benefit.

He said he was working until two years ago when his kidneys started failing.

Arnold, who uses a wheelchair, said his disability check is too much to qualify for Medicaid but is eaten up by his medical expenses each month.

“I’m just sweating to see if I can make it to the next check,” he said. “Having healthcare would really make a huge difference in how much we actually would be able to — it would actually put food in our refrigerator.”

While both Carolinas are home to legislatures dominated by Republicans, a key difference between them is who leads the executive branch.

While McMaster is a Republican, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is a Democrat and made Medicaid expansion a key priority.

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