(SC) Senate leader: South Carolina can’t sustain Medicaid spending

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Can't understand why keeping the disabled and elderly alive is a priority...

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McConnell’s remarks came as the Senate opened debate on a $5.8 billion spending plan that includes more than $1 billion in spending on caring for the state’s elderly, disabled and poor.

Sen. Thomas Alexander, a Walhalla Republican overseeing the Medicaid budget, told senators the spending plan includes adding $435 million just to keep existing Medicaid programs operating.

McConnell, a Charleston Republican, said that’s too much of a drain.

“How is this state going to sustain this?” McConnell asked. “I’m told we don’t have school buses funded in this bill. Not a nickel to replace a school bus and yet we could come up with $200 million-plus to bail this program out of a deficit? I don’t understand the priorities in this state.”

Alexander noted the state hasn’t changed its Medicaid program to make the benefits more generous or expand who is eligible. He said the priorities are right because the program takes care of needs of the disabled, people in nursing home and the growing ranks of children who had access to health insurance until their parents lost jobs in the recession.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/apr/26/senate-leader-south-carolina-cant-sustain-medicaid/?plckFindCommentKey=CommentKey:5f29a9ff-dffa-4c35-ac05-3f5ba1d613bd

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[napi21]

1. SC has a LOT of poor people too! I lived there for 6 years and

although it's not the poorest state , it's got to be close. You can't really increase taxes because most of the people who are working aren't able to afford any more. Ofcourse they sure could stop giving away tax abatements to the buisnesses there.