Columbia, S.C. - Governor Hodges announced today that the federal government has granted his request for a SilverxCard waiver. This waiver will allow South Carolina's popular SilverxCard prescription drug initiative to be expanded. The existing $23 million SilverxCard budget will serve as the state match to draw approximately an additional $57 million in federal money. The S.C. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that as many as 90,000 additional South Carolinians could be eligible for expanded coverage.

"This is exciting news for seniors who need prescription drugs," said Governor Hodges. "High drug costs are the number one issue facing too many of our seniors. I launched SilverxCard over two years ago to help. When I first proposed the SilverxCard, I was hopeful that Republicans and Democrats would pull together to get it up and running. The same spirit is at work today."

Currently, 40,000 seniors are enrolled in SilverxCard. They will automatically be enrolled in the expanded SilverxCard. SilverxCard can also now serve seniors with incomes up to $23,800 for a family of two. They can begin enrolling Jan. 1, 2003.

SilverxCard participants must be 65 or older, and a citizen of South Carolina for at least six months without pharmacy insurance coverage. Participants in the SilverxCard waiver will continue to pay deductibles and co-payments for prescriptions.