‘Truthful Tuesday’ Protesters Rally for Medicaid Expansion

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO0 — “It’s time for the people of South Carolina to speak up and tell the truth and for the citizens of South Carolina to hear the truth,” says one protester Protesters have walked the steps of the State House before, in hopes of persuading lawmakers to expand Medicaid in South Carolina. But, the legislature has denied it. Every year over one million people in South Carolina alone enroll in Medicaid. Since 2011, the total number of South Carolinians receiving Medicaid benefits increased by more than 130,000. In 2012 alone, 1 in 5 South Carolinians was enrolled in Medicaid. “If i get injured, if I become sick, I would not be able to receive any health care and I don’t believe that is just or ethical,” says Daniel Deweese, supports Medicaid expansion Deweese is one of the 210,000 South Carolinians that’s eligible for Medicaid if the ACA were expanded; he makes up the less than 5% of the state’s population unable to get coverage without an ACA expansion. “We have been denied cover from the ACA. Our Governor has denied this for people like me who is attempting to work for a living,” says Deweese So, he attends rallies at the State House on “Truthful Tuesdays,” to push for Medicaid expansion, that’s likely not to happen. Governor Haley’s spokesman gave us the following statement in regard to expanding Medicaid. “We’ve seen over the course of the past few months that the President’s health care plan is an unmitigated disaster and Governor Haley, without qualifications, stands by her decision to reject it and its center piece – the expansion of an already broken Medicaid program. Obamacare is wrong for South Carolina and Governor Haley will continue fighting against it while pushing for the state based reforms that will actually improve the health of the people of our state” – Doug Mayer, Governor Haley spokesman.