Hospital Association wants to address three health-care issues of
critical concern for all South Carolinians.
Health-care costs are rising and an increasing number of South
Carolinians -- estimated to be 700,000 -- are uninsured. It's time
for South Carolina's leaders to move this state forward in providing
greater access to health care.
If the recent election is any indication, state lawmakers seem
largely oblivious to the challenges most ordinary South Carolinians
and businesses face in trying to pay for health insurance and care.
Health-care concerns were a low priority for most candidates.
But at least one prominent voice in the state -- the S.C.
Hospital Association -- hopes to press lawmakers for solutions. The
association, which represents hospitals in this state, has
identified three legislative priorities that should be embraced by
all South Carolinians for a stronger health-care system in this
state:
|
Advertisement
|
 |
Covering Carolina: The state needs a system for covering
everyone's basic health care needs.
Increasing the cigarette tax: A higher tax would both reduce
smoking by teenagers while providing more money for health care.
Expanding the health-care work force: The state faces a critical
shortage of health-care workers, especially nurses.
The three issues are closely related. Providing health-coverage
for more South Carolinians and expanding the health-care work force
will require more money. A cigarette tax could help fund those
initiatives.
An increase in the cigarette tax of 60 cents could provide more
than $200 million a year. The money could be used to offer more
health-care insurance for low-income South Carolinians. The
Legislature also could use the money to help small businesses -- a
large number of which lack health insurance -- afford coverage for
their employees.
South Carolina is one of only eight states where the uninsured
rate rose last year. Massachusetts and Vermont, meanwhile, have
taken different routes toward trying to insure everyone in those
states. There's no reason why this state can't do a much better job
making health insurance accessible and affordable.
Likewise, expanding the health-care work force will require money
to help colleges recruit nursing teachers and other educators. A
real problem is that nurses qualified to teach can earn far more in
hospitals or elsewhere in the health-care field than in colleges.
South Carolina colleges turn away too many potential nursing
students due to the lack of teachers. Meanwhile, the state projects
a critical nursing shortage in the next decade.
The S.C. Hospital Association has forcefully outlined the urgent
health-care needs in this state. South Carolinians should support
the association in working for a healthier state.
|
Greer
Top
Stories, Breaking News
