In South Carolina, Medicaid Expected To Grow Despite Turning Down Expansion

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley dilevers her State of The State address to the joint session of the legislature Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013 at the Statehouse in Columbia, S.C.
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Medicaid enrollment in South Carolina is projected to grow significantly despite the fact that the state turned down the federally-backed Medicaid expansion under Obamacare.

State officials told Kaiser Health News they project a 16 percent enrollment increase in Medicaid by the end of June 2015, many of which are expected to be children. That figure is higher than expected even in some states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare.

It’s partly because of Obamacare’s requirement that Americans buy insurance. The expectation is that thousands of residents who are eligible for Medicaid are not enrolled, and that the mandate will encourage them to learn about their eligibility and sign up. It’s also partly because of reforms that South Carolina has made to its enrollment process.

Utah and Idaho, which have also turned down the Medicaid expansion, similarly expect 14 percent jumps in enrollment, according to the KHN report.

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