(Columbia-AP) Oct. 30, 2005 - A key part of Gov. Mark Sanford's proposal to overhaul the state's Medicaid program may reach less than one percent of the more than 850,000 people enrolled in the program.

Most of those people would move from medical care covered directly by Medicaid to managed health care programs private insurance companies run.

Sanford wanted to go further and insisted on a pilot program for self-directed care. He says a self-directed option for health care that lets Medicaid beneficiaries set up the coverage they think they need.

But that has risks because it limits how much money is set aside for them.

A panel set up to work out a compromise on the Medicaid proposal said that should be a limited pilot program. They say it would affect only about 5,000 people.

Posted 5:20pm by Chantelle Janelle