South Carolina senators approved budget measures that will affect the state’s Medicaid program, making it tougher for people with mental illnesses or HIV/AIDS to get name-brand drugs, GoUpstate.com reports. A few state senators asserted that it was a waste of money to give free brand-name drugs first instead of less expensive generics. The new policy would save nearly $1 million in the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1. The state’s budget of $5.8 billion includes more than $1 billion for Medicaid.

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