That’s higher than the 12 percent average increase expected for states that are extending Medicaid eligibility to cover those who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to the report. In South Carolina, adults without children aren’t eligible for the program regardless of their income. Working parents making more than 89 percent of the poverty level and nonworking parents earning more than 50 percent also don’t qualify, according to the report.
Still, even with those restrictions, South Carolina’s Medicaid Director Tony Keck told Kaiser the PPACA individual mandate — under which people must get health insurance or face a fine — will motivate tens of thousands of people who are currently eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled to sign up. Many of the new enrollees are expected to be children.
South Carolina has also revamped its enrollment process and is actively trying to sign people up by launching an online enrollment system, adding positions to its call center and using government databases of people who qualify for food stamps to find eligible individuals who aren’t already enrolled according to the report.
Advocates for the poor support these efforts but say the state has missed out on an opportunity to help even more people by expanding the program under the healthcare reform law, according to the report.
More Articles on Medicaid Expansion:
White House Pushes Nebraska to Expand Medicaid
Report: 2.4M Young Adults to Become Medicaid Eligible in 2014
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell Rejects Medicaid Expansion
