U.S. mapThe National Advisory Committee
on Rural Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Healthcare Accomplishments of Governer
David M. Beasley

During his tenure as governor, David M. Beasley made health care a priority. Listed below are some of those accomplishments:

 

  • Partners for Healthy Children: Medicaid expansion to include 75,000 additional children in families with incomes up to 150% of poverty. The Partners' coalition has signed up 45,000 out of a projected 75,000 children from low-income, working families who are newly eligible for health care. Governor Beasley increased the eligibility threshold for Medicaid coverage of all children to 150% of poverty.

  • Infant Mortality: South Carolina learned that its infant mortality rate had reached a record low of 8.3 deaths per 1,000 live births. SC's rate is dropping faster than any other state.

  • Immunization/Hallmark Card: Immunization rate of 90% for children under 2. Highest rate in US for past 3 years. Hallmark card mailed to all new parents to congratulate them and then remind them to have their baby immunized. Card has an immunization schedule enclosed.

  • Folic Acid campaign: SC is a geographic hot spot for neural tube defects with one of the highest incidence rates in the world. Addressed this problem successfully so that the number of babies born with neural tube defects has decreased. In 1997, 40 babies were born healthy who otherwise would have suffered from serious birth defects/death. First Lady is spokesperson for the campaign to educate women considering pregnancy to take a multivitamin containing folic acid every day.

  • Newborn Hearing Screening: First Sounds screening program la Inched to test the hearing of every newborn. Eight hospitals are participating. 150 babies born yearly in SC with significant hearing loss. Typically, such hearing loss is not diagnosed until age 3 causing significant damage to the child's language, cognitive and social development.

  • Prescription Coverage Increased for Children: Effective July 1,1998 Medicaid will began funding unlimited prescriptions for children.

  • Best Chance Network: Free breast and cervical cancer screening. Targets women at greatest risk of death from breast and cervical cancer - women age 50 and older who are below 185% poverty with no insurance. Special efforts are made to recruit African American women for screening because breast cancer is leading cause of cancer deaths for these women. To date, 43,169 poor un/underinsured SC women have received education, screening, outreach and follow-up services through program.

  • We will add 570 nursing home beds and 4,300 Community Long Term Care slots-addressing South Carolina's waiting list for long term care services. During Governor Beasley's present term, South Carolina has added 1,130 nursing home beds and 6,240 Community Long-Term Care slots.

Major Health Accomplishments FY 1997-98

Governor Beasley has created a grassroots movement that supports children's health issues. A number of new laws reflect initiatives brought by families, advocates, and providers to a series of public hearings that the Governor encouraged key legislators to conduct over the past 30 months. The hearings, co-chaired by Sen. J. Verne Smith, Democrat from Greer, and Rep. John G. Felder, a Republican from St. Matthews, obtained public guidance on how to improve SC's Medicaid program. The Governor, the senator, and the representative enacted citizens' requests for expansion of children's health programs, simplified applications, easier entry into elder services, and consumer choices in health care delivery.

 

  • Partners for Healthy Children: Medicaid expansion to include 75,000 additional children in families with incomes up to 150% of poverty. The Partners' coalition has signed up 61,000 of a projected 75,000 children from low-income, working families who are newly eligible for health care. Governor Beasley increased the eligibility threshold for Medicaid coverage of all children to 150% of poverty.

  • Health Care Options: Governor Beasley's determination that South Carolina's disadvantaged families should have choices in obtaining health care similar to those enjoyed by their more affluent neighbors has led to four Medicaid health coverage options. The ambition of medical homes for children led to the creation of two approaches to managed care in addition to the traditional HMO model and the traditional fee-for-service method of payment. A Healthy Option Program strengthens pediatric services, and a Physicians Enhanced Program is already cutting emergency room usage.

  • Child Care: 31,245 more children have been served since Oct.l994. Total expenditure of $17.5million new federal and state dollars. After meeting the child care needs of families leaving the TANF program for jobs, Governor Beasley provided child care services to 7,500 children from low-income working families so their parents could work, or attend school, or pursue vocational training These children are in addition to the 24,000 TANF children and 14,500 working poor children served last year.

  • Infant Mortality: So with Carolina learned that its infant mortality rate had reached a record low of 8.3 deaths per 1,000 live births. SC rate is dropping faster than any other state.

  • Aging Made Cabinet Level Agency: Governor Beasley has elevated elderly issues to the Cabinet level by placing into one agency the health programs funded by Medicaid, the aging networks programs funded by the Older Americans Act, and the Optional State Supplement program, better known as residential care facilities or boarding homes.

  • Property Tax Rollback: The property tax rollback last year and the steady increase in income tax exemptions for those over the age of 65 makes South Carolina much more attractive to retirees.

  • Mature Adults Count: We created the Mature Adults Count reports, which provide statewide as well as county-specific information about demographics, income, health and security of our aged 50 and above. These reports should help us better plan to meet this group's future needs.

  • Alzheimer's Services: We have created brochures to explain to South Carolina families the Alzheimer's services available to their loved ones suffering from Alzheimer's or related dementia, and how families may access the services and programs of the South Carolina Alzheimer's Resource Coordination Center.

  • We have won federal grants to fund Project COPE, which informs families with Alzheimer's patients about care options and provides other educational materials.

  • First Lady's Women's Health Campaign: Focus on physical activity to prevent/manage cardiovascular disease (leading cause of death in SC), breast cancer, mental illness, osteoporosis, and menopause. Sponsored over 30 local events since inception in Jan. 1997. Campaign focuses on families and encourages family activities such as walks in pristine forests like Jocassee, etc.

  • Medical Home Expansion: Number of medical homes has increased from 54 in 1997 to 70 in 1998. In 1996, 80% of Medicaid eligible kids under 3 saw a primary care MD compared to 45% in 1990.

  • Telepsychiatry Program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Provides psychiatric care to deaf patients through a PC-based telemedicine network. Program decreased staff travel time and costs while providing more treatment hours. Will be featured at NGA meeting.

  • Services and supports to persons with disabilitites and their families have been improved through the distribution of $3,586,710 in grants from the Governor's Office Developmental Disabilities Council to local programs. Grant funds are 75% federal and 25% state.

  • Teen Pregnancy: MICH Council has launched Put Your Future First abstinence campaign. TV and Radios spots on air highlighting the Save Sex message.

  • Alcohol/Drug/Smoking: DAODAS media campaign - SC PREVENTS.

Access to Health Care in Rural SC

 

  • Awarded a Robert Wood Johnson grant, Southern Rural Access Program, to improve access to basic health care in the most rural, medically underserved areas of SC.

  • Number of primary care providers who have located in underserved rural areas of SC has doubled since 1994. In 1994, 51 placements were made through State Office of Rural Health compared to 103 in 1997. A total of 314 placements have been made since 1994.

  • The retention rate for physicians who locate in rural SC through the rural physician incentive grants program is 96%.

  • Governor's Health Advisory Committee: Out of Race Relations Report: Charge to committee to identify the most underserved rural areas of the state, the needed health care services and the available resources. Develop guidelines to allow retired physicians and allied health care personnel to provide voluntary free care and make recommendations to support rural physicians who provide supervision to medical students as part of the students medical education. Recommendations will be made June 25, 1998. Committee has a focus on the disparity in health indicators between minority and majority populations, especially in rural areas.

  • Healthy Start Grants: SC only state to receive 2 grants, one in rural and one in urban community. Grants are to reduce infant mortality through out reach in local communities, education, and enhanced medical services.

New State Laws for FY1998-99

 

  • Governor Beasley will increase prescriptive coverage for children. Effective July 1, Medicaid will fund unlimited prescriptions for children.

  • We will add 570 nursing home beds and 4,300 Community Long Term Care Slots - addressing South Carolina's waiting list for long term care services. During Governor Beasley's present term, SC has added 1,130 nursing home beds and 6,240 Community Long-Term Care Slots.

  • A fourth monthly prescription will be provided our senior and disabled citizens receiving Medicaid services beginning Jan. 1, 1999.

  • We are piloting a single focal point concept for senior citizens to access elder services in four South Carolina families to an array of services, including long term care, meals on wheels, personal care aides, congregate meals, recreation, and educational opportunities.

  • We are implementing an assisted living waiver in the Optional State Supplement program residential homes to provide needed mental health services for residents. Providers will receive an increase in residential care payments in the amount of the Social Security cost of living increase, except for $2 will go to increase recipients' monthly personal needs allowance from $33 to $35.

  • We will begin a limited Medicaid chiropractic program that will enable our senior citizens to obtain the services, effective Oct. 1, 1998.

  • We will enhance the staff-patient ratios in our nursing homes to assure better quality of care for the 20,000 South Carolinians receiving care in these 170 homes.

  • We have taken advantage of a limited federal program that could save 6,200 low-income families about $525 a year in optional Medicare Part B premiums. Interested families should contact their county Council on Aging.

  • Income Tax Exemption for Disabled Persons: Exclude from state income tax withholding the wages that are earned by a disabled person, employed in a program approved by DDSN and making $7500 per year or less, effective for tax years beginning after 1999.

  • We will provide Medicaid benefits to working disabled individuals whose family income is less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level and whose SSI or Social Security benefits have been terminated due to their employment. (Monthly income for an individual would be $1,677; $2,261 for a family of two, and $2,844 for a family of three.)

  • 893 We will enhance the staff-patient ratios in our nursing homes to assure better quality of care for the 20,000 South Carolinians receiving care in these 170 homes.

  • We have taken advantage of a limited federal program that could save 6,200 low-income families about $525 a year in optional Medicare Part B premiums. Interested families should contact their county Council on Aging.

  • Income Tax Exemption for Disabled Persons: Exclude from state income tax withholding the wages that are earned by a disabled person, employed in a program approved by DDSN and making $7500 per year or less, effective for tax years beginning after 1999.

  • We will provide Medicaid benefits to working disabled individuals whose family income is less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level and whose SSI or Social Security benefits have been terminated due to their employment. (Monthly income for an individual would be $1,677; $2,261 for a family of two, and $2,844 for a family of three.)

Supported Proposed Changes

 

  • Assistive Technology Warranty Act-lemon law-to protect handicapped consumers, including many senior citizens, who purchase assistive technology devices e.g. wheel chairs, van lifts. Requires a one year manufacturers written warranty on devices costing over $300. In absence of a written warranty, the device would be considered to have implied warranty by manufacturer.

  • Dermatological services coverage: Bell sets standards of access to in-network dermatologists.

  • Patient protection Act: Bill requires employers with more than 50 eligible employees to offer a point of service health panel plan if they offer a closed panel one. Health plans are prohibited from discriminating against providers on the basis of their profession. Gag clauses in managed care contracts prohibited. Establishes disclosure requirements for network plans.

  • Genetic information Privacy: Bill limits use of genetic information by insurers.

  • Assisted Suicide Ban: Prohibits individuals from providing assistance in the act of suicide.

  • Organ, tissue and eye donation: Bill updates and clarifies procedure for handling donations and includes a number of measures designed to boost the number of donations.

  • In state organ donation: Bill seeks to give South Carolinians preference in receiving organs donated in our state.

  • Access to Emergency Medical Care: Bill requires managed care organizations to adopt prudent layperson standard for payment of emergency care.

  • Health Benefits and Education Act: Bill requires health benefit plans to permit direct access to ob/gyn services, mandates 48-hour coverage for mastectomy along with coverage for prosthetic devices and reconstructive breast surgery. Health coverage is also mandated for mammograms, pap smears and prostate cancer examinations.