Open Enrollment
Building healthier communities is complex work, but one of the building blocks to a better state of health is increasing access to care. That’s why SCHA has worked with our member hospitals and other partners each year to assist South Carolinians in obtaining health insurance during the open enrollment period.
Despite years of advances, our state still has far too many people going without insurance. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported in 2019 that our state has upwards of 439,000 uninsured residents. That’s hundred of thousands of people who will struggle to afford to pay for medications or will have to check their bank accounts before deciding whether they can afford to see a doctor.
The good news is, some 59,000 of those are eligible for Medicaid, while another 179,000 are eligible for the Affordable Care Act Marketplace subsidies. Together, that’s 54% of the currently uninsured that are eligible for some form of subsidized coverage. That’s a lot of people who could have access to care if we all work together.
And for those individuals, obtaining health insurance can be transformative. Preventative and primary care can become a regular part of their lives, leading to a healthier life and preventing chronic conditions down the road. The sense of security that comes from being prepared for an unexpected health emergency also has allows families to save money for other things, like buying a home or sending their kids to college.
For more information on open enrollment or to see what options are available, go to signupsc.org or call 888-998-4646. Experts will guide SC residents through the process to find out what they qualify for and what options are available that best fit their needs.
SCHA Resources for Open Enrollment:
2021 Special Open Enrollment Period Press Release