BLUFFTON, S.C.-- Aug. 18, 2026 -- “South Carolina’s 2026-2027 budget sends a strong message: The future of health care is moving into the home. While much of the conversation has focused on the dollars invested, the bigger story is the state’s continued commitment to helping people remain where they want to be — at home, surrounded by family and connected to their communities.
Funding home and community-based services is an important step, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. These services provide critical support, including personal care, respite and assistance with daily activities. However, many people living with serious illnesses also need clinical care, symptom management, advance care planning and help navigating an increasingly complicated health care system.
Without that coordination, too many patients cycle through emergency rooms, hospitals and rehabilitation facilities before eventually reaching hospice, even when some of those transitions could have been avoided.
Home care, home health, palliative care and hospice should not be viewed as competing services. Each plays a different role, but together they can create a more effective and compassionate care journey. Patients and families should not have to navigate the differences between programs or determine on their own which type of care they need. They should be able to trust that providers are working together to connect them with the right care, at the right time.
As our population continues to age, helping people remain healthy and safe at home is not only the compassionate thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do. When care is coordinated well, patients may experience fewer hospitalizations, delay nursing home placement and enjoy a better quality of life. Those are better outcomes for patients and families, and they can also be better outcomes for taxpayers.
For providers, this is an opportunity to think differently about how we define success. It should not be measured only by the number of patients served. It should also be measured by whether we help people remain at home, honor their wishes and receive care that reflects their needs.
I applaud South Carolina’s leaders for recognizing the importance of home-based care and avoiding the more than $20 million cut that was originally under consideration. The state has taken an important step by investing in services that help people remain in their homes.
The next step is ensuring those services work together. We do not need more disconnected programs. We need better coordination among the programs we already have, with the patient at the center of every decision.”
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About MiraSol Health
MiraSol Health is a community-based healthcare organization providing chronic/serious illness management, end-of-life care, and grief care services to patients and families in Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper Counties. For over 40 years, MiraSol Health has delivered compassionate care and support to those facing serious illness, end-of-life, and grief, regardless of their financial situation. To learn more, visit www.mirasolhealth.org.
Media Contact
Becky Budds
becky@ascentcomms.com