Healthcare Costs and Limited Access Are Failing Families

The Challenge: South Carolina earned a C+ on a 2025 national healthcare scorecard, with 41 of 46 counties designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas, high maternal mortality rates, and rising insurance premiums.

What do South Carolinians think? Healthcare is deeply personal across the state. One participant reported that premiums jumped "from $18 a month to $200 a month," adding that "many families will not be able to afford this." Another said health insurance would consume "30% of my income." One rural participant described provider deserts: "there is only one children’s hospital in all of central South Carolina" and "rural areas have very little to no OB/GYN." A 26-year healthcare practitioner called the system "broken" and said, "I want to save lives — South Carolina needs a better healthcare system for all." On fixed incomes, the refrain is blunt: "I can’t pay the insurance fees."