Sen. Darline Graham’s Healthcare Rhetoric Amid South Carolina Senate Race

Republican U.S. Senator Darline Graham, who won a special runoff election for the South Carolina Senate seat previously held by her brother Lindsey Graham, attacked Democratic opponent Dr. Annie Andrews for supporting what Graham labeled “government-run healthcare.”

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The remarks come as the Republican Party’s $900 billion cuts to Medicaid and reductions in Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies have been linked to rising uninsured rates nationwide. Protect Our Care, a health-care advocacy group, reported that 235,000 South Carolinians have lost ACA subsidies or Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage, premiums have doubled for more than 587,000 residents, and 14 health facilities face closure. The state’s health-care system is confronting a $1.5 billion funding shortfall and a 26.9 % increase in uncompensated care.

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• 235,000 South Carolinians have lost ACA subsidies or Medicaid/CHIP coverage (Protect Our Care).

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• Premiums have doubled for over 587,000 state residents in the past year (Protect Our Care).

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• 14 hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes are closing or near closure due to funding cuts (Protect Our Care).

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• The health-care system faces a $1.5 billion loss and a 26.9 % rise in unreimbursed care (Protect Our Care).

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• “South Carolinians are dropping coverage they can no longer afford, delaying care, rationing medications, and living with the constant fear that an emergency could push them deeper into debt,” — Protect Our Care. Writer

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