Lee Johnson, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate against Lindsey Graham, toured the Allendale County Hospital and met with its CEO, Lari Gooding, on Monday as the U.S. Senate debates the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which currently includes nearly $800 billion in cuts to Medicaid.
“The Allendale County Hospital provides a vital service to this part of the state,” Johnson said. “If the Medicaid cuts that Lindsey Graham supports get signed into law, this hospital may shut down, and this community – as well as folks in Barnwell and Bamberg Counties – will suffer. This campaign is about showing up everywhere and listening to the folks that Lindsey has left behind and are paying the price for his failed leadership.”
The Allendale County Hospital is one of only three independent hospitals left in South Carolina and the only hospital serving Bamberg and Barnwell Counties on top of Allendale following closures in those counties over the last decade.
The hospital also operates the only pharmacy in Allendale County after a local Walgreens shut down several years ago.
70% of patients served by the Allendale County Hospital are insured by Medicaid or Medicare, according to Gooding.
Graham called Medicaid a “money laundering scheme” on Sunday during debate on the “One Big Beautiful Bill” in the Senate.
Johnson responded: “This is a disgusting lie. 1.1 million South Carolinians rely on Medicaid for their healthcare. It’s not a money laundering scheme – it’s a lifeline. Lindsey wants to cut it. I want to protect and expand it so that all South Carolinians have access to affordable healthcare.”