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How Closing the Healthcare Coverage Gap Could Change South Carolina
Thousands of South Carolinians, many of whom are essential workers who have provided critical services during the pandemic, have gone without healthcare for far too long. South Carolina is one of 10 states that has not closed the coverage gap under the federal law that guarantees the matching funds. Both red and blue states have taken advantage of the federal law.
Due to the lack of expansion in South Carolina, there is a large healthcare gap in the state. Some South Carolinians are making too much income to be eligible for Medicaid and also not enough to afford care from the health insurance marketplace, leaving them with no healthcare options in between. This is called the Coverage Gap.
If South Carolina decided to close the coverage gap today, over 340,000 individuals would be able to enroll in Medicaid and have a real option for healthcare. Families would be healthier, small businesses employing these low-wage individuals would have more productive workers, and the state and counties would save significant dollars from being relieved of the financial expense for providing healthcare to the incarcerated.
Visit the following links to learn more about the impact of closing the gap, and visit our two pager below to learn how it would affect South Carolinians today.
Economic Report on the Impact of Closing the Gap in SC
New data from The George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health highlights how Medicaid expansion would boost health outcomes and strengthen the economy across all 46 counties in South Carolina. Read More
The Impact of Closing the Gap for Uninsured Veterans
Given their service, and high rates of chronic and behavioral health disease, veterans are owed excellent access to health care, yet large numbers of veterans under 65 are uninsured. Read More
How Closing the Gap Improves Maternal Health
Research comparing states that have expanded Medicaid to include all working-aged adults with those that have not shows that closing the gap leads to further improvements in maternal, infant, and child health. Read More
County by County Impact of Closing the Gap in South Carolina
According to the research, Medicaid expansion is projected to result in large-scale economic growth in South Carolina. If the state were to close the gap in 2026, South Carolina would see the creation of nearly 29,000 new jobs over the first three years of Medicaid expansion. Read More
More Info on the Impact of Closing the Healthcare Coverage Gap in South Carolina
Cover SC Two Page Summary on the Importance of Closing the Gap
Supporting Information on Closing the Healthcare Coverage Gap