Many uninsured people in South Carolina delay receiving medical care when they need it simply because they cannot afford it. That’s why hospitals across the state are introducing Access Health SC to network individuals and health care providers. Executive Director Melanie Matney says, “Our goals are to create networks of care for the uninsured and these networks of care increase health outcomes and they improve utilization of health care services,” says Matney.
According to her, “In South Carolina, we have one in every six adults uninsured and those people who have lack of health insurance have higher vitality.
“They have less resources to access different types of services on a continual routine basis and that leads us to have very poor health outcomes in South Carolina.”
In February, the program was launched by the South Carolina Hospital Association and 30 different stakeholders through the website that gives people an interactive map to lead visitors in the right direction. The program is designed to reduce the financial strains on South Carolina hospitals, which in 2007, provided $1.3 billion in unreimbursed services.