By Sue Martin
Hemophilia of South Carolina (HSC) and Patient Services, Inc. (PSI) have had a long-time partnership in advocacy. Working together to provide hemophilia and bleeding disorder awareness, and advocating for services at our local state Capitol has been a strong priority for us. Today, together with all our national partnerships, we all continue to advocate for safety nets for those who need it the most as this is our collective mission. This includes allowing qualified charitable organizations to provide premium assistance to many patients in South Carolina with expensive and chronic rare disorders, which is now being denied by insurers across the nation, including South Carolina.
HSC with their partner organization PSI, have been advocating to ask for a state bill to ensure access to healthcare premium assistance without any barriers from the state insurer on the marketplace and have a champion to thank for hearing our concerns.
Insurers in South Carolina who are providing health care policies on our market exchanges will no longer be able to deny premium assistance from qualified non-profit advocacy groups such as PSI, the American Kidney Fund, and many others whose primary mission is to help those in need if the state passes a bill just filed by House Representative Tommy Stringer. The bill would amend the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976 by adding section 38-71-35 so as to allow the payment of insurance premiums and other cost sharing by third parties on behalf of individuals insured by qualified health plans. The push to pass the bill will start when the next session begins as the current legislative session will end the first week of June.
Representative Tommy Stringer (R-18) has been one of the Chapters strongest legislative advocates for families and individuals in South Carolina who have hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. We have worked with Representative Stringer for years and are so grateful for his support and strong leadership. Representative Stringer himself has a child who has severe hemophilia so he understands at a deep and personal level the need for access to quality health care for those in our state who are affected by bleeding disorders.
Advocating nationally for access to health care premium assistance will still continue at HSC as we ask for our South Carolina Congressmen to back the national legislation, HR 3742. However, we will take it upon ourselves to work hard to advocate to pass this state bill for all South Carolinians which will allow our “Charities to be Charitable” and serve their collective missions to provide premium assistance to those in need. This will enable qualified individuals in need access to the medical care, medications and services they so desperately need. This is OUR CALL TO ACTION and we will need your help. I have your number and you can be assured I will be calling YOU for support! I thank you all in advance for our communities 100% support.