COLUMBIA — Leaders of South Carolina hospitals today launched an online petition to urge state lawmakers to accept the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

The S.C. House in a party-line vote last week rejected the expansion that would cover about 250,000 uninsured living at or near poverty level. Expansion advocates, including the S.C. Hospital Association, continue to fight for the state to accept the nearly $11 billion in federal funding over the next seven years.

Expansion backers can sign the petition at remedysc.com.

Joey Holleman