The AARP South Carolina State Office commissioned a telephone survey to explore the views of its 45+ residents on expanding the Medicaid program in the state.  

Key findings include:

•  About seven in ten (69%) 45+ South Carolina residents believe that Medicaid is an important government program and nearly half (46%) believe they or someone they know will need it in the future.
  • 69% say Medicaid is extremely or very important compared to other government programs.  19% say Medicaid is somewhat important, and only 9% say that it is not very or not at all important.  
  • 46% say either they or someone they know is extremely or very likely to need Medicaid coverage at some point in the future, and another 21% say this need is somewhat likely. 
• Many (54%) 45+ South Carolina residents supports expanding Medicaid to cover adults with no children and who earn up to $15,000 a year.
  • 54% strongly or somewhat support the expansion of Medicaid in the state so that adults with no children and earning up to about $15,000 a year can have health care coverage.  
  • Support remains constant, as the same proportion (54%) say they would support Medicaid expansion knowing that adults with no young children and earning $15,000 a year currently do not qualify for Medicaid benefits. 
• Nearly two-thirds (64%) of 45+ South Carolina residents believe that the state should use proceeds from the 2000 Tobacco Settlement to expand Medicaid in South Carolina.
  • 64% agree that the state should use a portion of the trust fund money from the 2000 Tobacco Settlement in order to expand Medicaid in South Carolina.  
  • Moreover, 54% disagree with Governor Haley’s decision to decline federal funds in order to expand Medicaid in South Carolina.  

This survey was conducted through telephone interviews with a sample of 600 respondents ages 45 and older drawn at random from the state of South Carolina. The sample included two oversamples of 100 interviews each in Senate District 31 and House District 114. The interviews were conducted in English by RDD field services from February 13th through February 21st, 2013. The combined 800 interviews from the study were weighted by age, gender and Districts for South Carolinians ages 45+. For more information, contact Aisha Bonner at 202-434-3531.