Limited Medicaid screening program falls far short of goals

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Fewer South Carolinians than expected have enrolled in a limited benefits program for poor residents who fall in an insurance gap, and only a tiny portion of them are getting the free medical screenings it provides.

State Medicaid director Christian Soura said there’s “much less interest” in Healthy Connections Checkup than his predecessor hoped.

Checkup provides physical exams every other year, including screenings for obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and several types of cancer. The coverage that began Aug. 1, 2014, expanded on a decades-old state program that provided birth control.

Former Director Tony Keck hoped 200,000 would be enrolled by summer 2015.

Instead, the latest numbers show enrollment at just over 155,000 in July. As of Aug. 31, just 3,605 Checkup patients had undergone 5,715 total medical screenings.