SCPA Public Affairs Update
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!! After a nearly 10 year long battle, the $.50 tax increase on cigarettes will become law in our state, on July 1, 2010. The passage of this legislation is a HUGE win for all South Carolina citizens, but especially women, children, & young families.
Briefly, approximately $10 million generated by this 50-cent/pack increase will fund cancer prevention and re-search activities. The remaining estimated $125 million (which will subsequently draw down $375 million in federal dollars) will be placed in a Medicaid Trust fund.
Thanks to all SCPA members who helped get this legislation passed by contacting their legislators and urging them to support this important legislation. Your efforts DID make a difference! SCPA would especially like to thank Senator Thomas Alexander, and Representatives Bingham, Rice, Skelton, Crawford, and Harrell for their leader-ship and hard work to get this important healthcare legislation passed.
Below are listed the last names of House and Senate members who had the courage to override Governor San-ford’s veto of this bill. If you have not yet thanked your representative or senator for helping finally pass the cigarette tax, please do so now. As always, you can easily find your Legislator at www.scstatehouse.gov
HOUSE: Agnew, Alexander, Allen, Anderson, Anthony, Bales, Ballentine, Bannister, Bingham, Bowers, Brady, Branham, Brantley, G.Brown, H.B. Brown, R. Brown, Chalk, Clemmons, Clyburn, Cobb-Hunter, Cole, Crawford, Daning, Delleney, Dillard, Erickson, Forrester, Frye, Funderburk, Gilliard, Govan, Gunn, Harrell, Harrison, Hart, Harvin, Hayes, Hearn, Herbkersman, Hiott, Hodges, Horne, Hosey, Howard, Huggins, Hutto, Jefferson, Jennings, Kelly, King, Knight, Limehouse, Littlejohn, Long, Lucas, Mack, McEachern, McLeod, Merrill, Miller, Mitchell, S. Moss, James Neal, Joseph Neal, Neilson, Ott, Owens, Parks, Pinson, Rice, Rutherford, Sellers, Skelton, D. Smith, G.M. Smith, J.Roland Smith, James Smith, Sottile, Spires, Stavrinakis, Umphlett, Vick, Weeks, Whipper, Whitmire, Williams, Willis, Wylie, A. Young, T. Young
SENATE: Alexander, Anderson, Campbell, Campsen, Cleary, Coleman, Cromer, Elliott, Fair, Ford, Hayes, Hutto, Jackson, Land, Leatherman, Leventis, Lourie, Malloy, L. Martin, Massey, Matthews, McConnell, McGill, Nichol-son, O’Dell, Pinckney, Rankin, Reese, Rose, Scott, Setzler, Sheheen, Shoopman
Want to know more about reducing the toll of tobacco use in South Carolina? Visit the South Carolina Tobacco Collaborative
See below for updates by March of Dimes for ways you can get involved.
Remember you can find your legislators’ names/contact information at www.scstatehouse.gov
Meg Jewel, Public Affairs, Chair mjewell@ghs.org
March of Dimes Focus Areas:
The March of Dimes Public Affairs agenda focuses on public policies and programs that relate to the Foundation's mission -- improving the health of infants and children by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. This focus is separated into three areas of programmatic work:
· Access to health care for women of childbearing age, infants and children;
· Research to prevent prematurity, birth defects and infant mortality; and
· Prevention and treatment to improve maternal, infant and child health.
South Carolina Chapter Priorities:
From these focus areas, the South Carolina Chapter has chosen two priorities for 2010:
· Access to health care by coordinating a public education campaign to ensure that eligible pregnant women are enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program so that they may receive appropriate prenatal care.
· Support of the cigarette tax to fund Medicaid to ensure that pregnant women and children have continued access to health care so that there will be better outcomes thus reducing the incidences of prematurity, birth defects and infant mortality.
Why the South Carolina Chapter Has Chosen These Priorities:
Access to Health Care:
When compared to other states, South Carolina has limited options to educate pregnant women about Medicaid services. The enrollment process can be complicated and information is sometimes not clear.
To address these challenges, MOD, SC Chapter will coordinate efforts with other statewide advocacy groups to prepare and distribute an easy to understand informational brochure to assist pregnant women with the enrollment process. MOD, SC Chapter will also assist in training volunteers around the state to assist applicants.
Cigarette Tax:
South Carolina has the lowest cigarette tax in the nation. Increasing the cigarette tax to fund Medicaid will provide a much needed influx of funds into our state’s Medicaid system and will help stabilize the program. In other states, increasing cigarette taxes has proven to reduce smoking levels and increase state revenues. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease and death in South Carolina. Nearly 23% of the state population smokes cigarettes. Smoking costs the state Medicaid program $393 million per year. Annual health care costs in South Carolina directly caused by smoking total $1.09 billion.
by Breana Lipscomb