Maya Pack speaks with Scott Morgan of SCPR on Senate Bill 855

Last week, IMPH Executive Director Maya Pack spoke with SC Public Radio about Medicaid expansion and the Institute's report on health outcomes associated with adults reaching retirement age. This comes as Senate Bill 855 was introduced at the beginning of the 2024 session to establish a healthcare market reform study committee.

Sen. Tom Davis would like a word about Medicaid expansion in South Carolina

Almost 15 years on, South Carolina is one of the last 10 states – and the only Carolina – to have not yet adopted Medicaid expansion, now that North Carolina made almost 600,000 residents eligible for expanded Medicaid coverage as of Dec. 1.

No South Carolina governor has ever supported Medicaid expansion in this state. Gov. Henry McMaster still doesn’t, having called expansion “a bad deal” for South Carolina.

But what about at least having an official conversation about it?

State Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) is banking on enough support to get that conversation going in the South Carolina State Legislature. At the beginning of the 2024 session, Davis introduced Senate Bill 855, to “establish a healthcare market reform study committee.”

Translation: the State Senate will officially consider officially considering expanding Medicaid in South Carolina. Davis’ bill does not itself look to expand Medicaid, but rather to form a formal body at the Statehouse that will weigh whether it’s time to join 40 other states and the District of Columbia in broadening the program’s reach in-state.

Read the full story by Scott Morgan here.