A budget plan has recently been proposed by Congressional leaders to make deep financial cuts to Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Cuts to these programs will specifically harm those in our communities with the greatest needs. We seek your help to advocate against these cuts, all of which would have a devastating impact on our overall health and also our local economy.
Medicaid is the foundation of our nation’s healthcare system, funded with both federal and state dollars. Currently, federal Medicaid funds cover more than seventy percent of costs for South Carolina’s Medicaid programs, also known as SC Healthy Connections, with the federal government investing between seven and nine dollars for every three dollars South Carolina invests. The federal support also pays for one-half of our state’s costs to administer the program. The changes that are in the reconciliation budget would destroy all funding mechanisms to pay for these programs and shift costs to our state budget. This will prohibit hospitals from continuing to be taxed, with this tax being used for the state match to draw down hundreds of millions of dollars each year for uncompensated care through Medicaid. South Carolina and its people cannot afford this shift in federal funding to our state.
If South Carolina were to lose federal funding for Medicaid, more than 1.2 million people are at risk of losing their healthcare benefits. These losses would affect people across our state, including seniors in nursing homes, mothers who receive prenatal care, our fellow South Carolinians who live with disabilities and more than 600,000 kids. SC Healthy Connections is a vital part of healthcare in SC.
Cuts to Medicaid would not only be harmful to the individuals who receive benefits but also impact every part of our state budget and weaken the state’s economy. One way this will occur is through hospital closures in our rural counties who depend on funds from Medicaid, making healthcare both unattainable and unaffordable for more rural residents. Any federal cuts to Medicaid, including current proposals for per capita caps that limit the ability of federal funding to keep pace with inflation, will directly impact hundreds of thousands of South Carolinian children and families and will require our state to cut eligibility. These cuts will reduce services from an already thin benefit package here in SC and make it impossible for many in our state to get needed care.
Similarly, SNAP (“food stamps”) is the most effective national anti-hunger program and, in a time of persistent inflation in food prices, is more important than ever. It is also a vital part of our local economy. Almost 600,000 people in our state depend on this program, with the majority of beneficiaries being seniors (35%), families with children (68%), and working families (33%). For every dollar spent, SNAP generates about one dollar and fifty cents of economic revenue, with locally purchased food at 5,200 authorized retail locations in South Carolina. Like Medicaid, this program injects dollars into our communities, while also providing critical nutrition to those with the greatest needs. Cuts to this program will have a ripple effect throughout our state, resulting in lost jobs, business closures and a reduction in the tax base.
For all of these reasons, we are seeking your help in urging our state Congressional leaders to protect federal funding for these vital programs. Many people in our state have trouble making ends meet. These cuts to these programs will exacerbate the issues. Please use our tool to send a message to your Congressional leaders today. Thank you for your time and advocacy on this critical issue.
Medicaid is the foundation of our nation’s healthcare system, funded with both federal and state dollars. Currently, federal Medicaid funds cover more than seventy percent of costs for South Carolina’s Medicaid programs, also known as SC Healthy Connections, with the federal government investing between seven and nine dollars for every three dollars South Carolina invests. The federal support also pays for one-half of our state’s costs to administer the program. The changes that are in the reconciliation budget would destroy all funding mechanisms to pay for these programs and shift costs to our state budget. This will prohibit hospitals from continuing to be taxed, with this tax being used for the state match to draw down hundreds of millions of dollars each year for uncompensated care through Medicaid. South Carolina and its people cannot afford this shift in federal funding to our state.
If South Carolina were to lose federal funding for Medicaid, more than 1.2 million people are at risk of losing their healthcare benefits. These losses would affect people across our state, including seniors in nursing homes, mothers who receive prenatal care, our fellow South Carolinians who live with disabilities and more than 600,000 kids. SC Healthy Connections is a vital part of healthcare in SC.
Cuts to Medicaid would not only be harmful to the individuals who receive benefits but also impact every part of our state budget and weaken the state’s economy. One way this will occur is through hospital closures in our rural counties who depend on funds from Medicaid, making healthcare both unattainable and unaffordable for more rural residents. Any federal cuts to Medicaid, including current proposals for per capita caps that limit the ability of federal funding to keep pace with inflation, will directly impact hundreds of thousands of South Carolinian children and families and will require our state to cut eligibility. These cuts will reduce services from an already thin benefit package here in SC and make it impossible for many in our state to get needed care.
Similarly, SNAP (“food stamps”) is the most effective national anti-hunger program and, in a time of persistent inflation in food prices, is more important than ever. It is also a vital part of our local economy. Almost 600,000 people in our state depend on this program, with the majority of beneficiaries being seniors (35%), families with children (68%), and working families (33%). For every dollar spent, SNAP generates about one dollar and fifty cents of economic revenue, with locally purchased food at 5,200 authorized retail locations in South Carolina. Like Medicaid, this program injects dollars into our communities, while also providing critical nutrition to those with the greatest needs. Cuts to this program will have a ripple effect throughout our state, resulting in lost jobs, business closures and a reduction in the tax base.
For all of these reasons, we are seeking your help in urging our state Congressional leaders to protect federal funding for these vital programs. Many people in our state have trouble making ends meet. These cuts to these programs will exacerbate the issues. Please use our tool to send a message to your Congressional leaders today. Thank you for your time and advocacy on this critical issue.