COLUMBIA, S.C. — The recently passed coronavirus relief package, called the American Rescue Plan, includes funds as an incentive to help states expand Medicaid; if they agree to sign on. South Carolina is one of 12 states that doesn’t plan to take part, and now Democratic Senators are urging Governor McMaster to change that.
"There's no better way to save lives in South Carolina than to make sure that our citizens have quality affordable healthcare and that’s what expanding Medicaid does," said Senator Kevin Johnson Tuesday.
Democratic Senators gathered at the State House Tuesday morning to urge Governor McMaster to accept federal funding that would expand Medicaid in the Palmetto State.
"We’re one of only a dozen states in the country that have chosen not to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, denying hundreds of thousands of South Carolinians access to healthcare," said Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto.
Hutto said expanding Medicaid would bring billions in revenue to the state’s healthcare system.
Medicaid expansion would mean more people living below the poverty line in South Carolina would be eligible for healthcare. The senators said expansion could cover 188,000 uninsured South Carolinians.
However, Governor McMaster has shown he's not interested in the federal government's incentive.
"We would be getting federal funds to begin with, then in just two years we start paying about $200 million plus a year and it goes up, and up, and up," McMaster told News19. "Other states that have been taking that I think are doing it the wrong way," he added. "The way to good health is good employment, good education.”
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The Governor’s Office told News19 they think tax payers would end up paying the price for expanding Medicaid, so the Governor won’t be signing the deal.
"Will it cost us some more money in our budget? It will," said Senator Hutto. "But where will that additional money come from? We’ll be generating additional tax money from the jobs it’s creating. We’ll be generating savings from public dollars that are having to go into propping up hospitals that are failing," he explained.
The federal government normally covers 90% of the costs to expand Medicaid in states. Now under the American Rescue Plan, they’re offering to cover 95% of the costs for two years.
Hutto estimated it would cost South Carolina over $500 million to cover 5% of the deal, which he said is well worth it to save lives.