South Carolina lawmakers may consider measure to consolidate health agencies | Caroline from the south

(The Center Square) – South Carolina lawmakers may consider a measure to merge several state health agencies into a new cabinet-level agency when they return to Columbia next month.

S.915 would merge the departments of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services, Disabilities and Special Needs, Health and Human Services, Public Health, Mental Health and Aging into the new Executive Office of Health and Policy. It also places the Secretary of Health and Politics within the governor’s cabinet.

The State House and State Senate pass versions of the measure before the Legislature finished last week.

“Health care reorganization – that was not brought to the conference (committee); I wish it was,” Republican Gov. Henry McMaster said at a press briefing Monday. “This is a vital issue for the people of our state. There is probably not a family in our state that has not experienced a need for mental health, disability, psychological treatment or substance abuse – all things that our different agencies take care of but without coordination.

The governor cited a $5 million study “that concluded that health agencies…in South Carolina are the most disorganized and fragmented in the nation.”

“It’s not a good reputation,” McMaster said. “…It just won’t work.”

An estimate from the South Carolina Office of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs from April indicated that the measure would result in some budgetary impacts, such as a one-time $10,000 expense for the Department of Disabilities and Special Needs to change its name and logo . The estimate also found that the bill could result in “undetermined” additional spending.

“For individuals opposed to S. 915, I sincerely hope that they never have to face the stressful reality of bouncing between our state health agencies to secure services for their family member ” said Candace Carroll, state director of Americans for Prosperity-SC. said in a job at X, formerly Twitter.

“It’s personal – as all health care should be,” Carroll added. “It keeps real patients with families like mine from falling through the cracks for the services they depend on. And (it) has someone patients can hold accountable when and if they do.”

In a job At DMH, DDSN, DAODAS) now run by health bureaucrats who only answer to unelected boards and improve services for people with physical and mental disabilities.