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Bill Mandating Educational Information for Newborn Parents Tabled
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A bill, S.341, which would require every hospital in the state to provide newborn parents with educational information on renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) was carried over by a House Medical, Military, Municipal and Public Affairs (3M) subcommittee this week. The subcommittee is chaired by Rep. Kit Spires (R-Lexington) and also includes Representatives Mary Tinkler (D-Charleston), Jonathon Hill (R-Anderson) and Robert Ridgeway (D-Clarendon), who raised concerns over the bill's focus on the rare kidney cancer that mainly affects individuals with the sickle cell trait or sickle cell disease.
A representative for a family affected by RMC testified before the committee, speaking to the lack of awareness about the disease and the tragic consequences their family encountered dealing with the very fatal cancer. The spokeswoman asked the committee to approve the bill.
Rep. Ridgeway, an OBGYN from Manning, reported that he had concerns with the bill. He informed the committee that RMC was an extremely rare cancer that only impacted a small percentage of individuals with the sickle cell trait and didn't manifest itself until the child was older, reducing the need for providing a form to every newborn parent at birth. He pointed out that the legislation only required hospitals to provide the educational information and did not address birth centers or home births. Rep. Ridgeway encouraged the committee to focus on educating doctors and pediatricians about the need to raise awareness about the sickle cell trait and other conditions related to the sickle cell disease.
Rep. John King (D-York) joined the subcommittee and explained his personal struggle with the sickle cell disease that has affected his family members. He pointed out that sickle cell and RMC disproportionately affect the African American and Hispanic community and that South Carolina should be looking to do more to raise awareness about the debilitating disease.
Rep. Tinkler and Rep. Hill agreed with King about the need to raise awareness around sickle cell conditions, but worried that providing every newborn parent in the state with information about rare kidney cancer was inefficient and could lead to unnecessary concern for newborn parents. Rep. Tinkler also worried about the economic impact to hospitals aside from MUSC, who indicated their fiscal impact to be about $10,000 in printing costs for the educational materials.
The subcommittee's discussion focused on the need to raise awareness about sickle cell conditions rather than just focusing on RMC. Chairman Spires also pointed out the need to address deliveries in birth centers and home births, given those trends are becoming more prevalent with expecting mothers. With that, the panel voted to adjourn debate to draft an amendment to address the subcommittee's concerns. They are scheduled to reconvene on Wednesday, May 20 at 9am to present that amendment and further consider S.341. |
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Senate Panel Recommends Disapproval of CON Regulations
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Proposed Certificate of Need (CON) regulations that would significantly raise the economic thresholds for medical equipment and capital investments were disapproved by the Senate Medical Affairs Regulations subcommittee this week.
Representatives for DHEC were on hand to answer questions from the panel about the drafting of the regulations, specifically how the agency arrived at the new figures that significantly increase the economic thresholds for medical equipment purchases from $600k to $10 million, and from $2 million to $50 million for capital expenditures. DHEC officials admitted that the proposed thresholds had no scientific basis and were approved by the DHEC Board under the leadership of the previous agency director.
The subcommittee also heard from a spokesman for 21st Century Oncology, a provider of cancer care services operating in more than 300 locations, who explained to senators how the increased thresholds would affect his organization while also warning legislators that they were usurping their own legislative authority by approving such drastic changes through regulation. He contended that if the subcommittee approved the new thresholds, they would be making significant changes to the CON program without a full legislative review.
A representative for Aiken Regional Medical Center and HealthSouth also opposed the regulations, arguing that amending the definition of "adverse effect" would limit the ability of a health care provider to look at the impact of new facilities on existing facilities. The web-based CON application also came under fire, as a health care consultant testified that DHEC was not ready to go live with the online application and that health care providers should be granted a grace period where they could submit both paper and electronic applications until the web-based application was fully ready.
Recognizing the multitude of issues with the proposed regulations, the committee ultimately voted to recommend disapproval to the full Senate Medical Affairs Committee, but not before sending a stern message to all the stakeholders about the direction of CON reform. Just before the meeting adjourned, subcommittee Chairman Ray Cleary (R-Georgetown) cautioned that while the subcommittee's action stopped the clock on the regulations, if no compromise could be reached on H.3250, the CON reform bill, the proposed regulations could come back into play. Senator Joel Lourie (D-Richland) echoed those sentiments, informing the audience that if efforts were made to kill the CON reform bill, stakeholders may end up with a much worse solution than they are seeking. The full Senate Medical Affairs Committee is scheduled to take up the subcommittee's recommendation to disapprove on Thursday, May 21 at 9am. |
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In Other News
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- 20 week abortion ban: Despite a compromise reached in the Senate that would provide exceptions for rape, incest and fetal anomalies, Sen. Lee Bright (R-Spartanburg) filibustered his own bill because he does not believe the compromise does enough to protect the unborn. The proposal is now likely dead for the year as senators eye the end of session and the need to pass a plan to improve SC roads.
- 9 Legislative Days Remain: Summer is officially in the air at the Statehouse and not just because of Columbia's famously hot temperatures. The rules of the General Assembly provide that the legislature adjourn no later than 5pm on the first Thursday in June, unless an extension is voted by two-thirds of both Houses. With the budget still incomplete and no clear plan to address South Carolina's damaged roads, legislators will be working to prioritize these issues before expected adjournment on Thursday, June 4.
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Committee Actions
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- S.250 (Shealy) - Provides that a health care provider must provide medical records and other health information of a child that is suspected to be the subject of abuse or neglect to the South Carolina Children's Advocacy Medical Response System without consent of the child's parent or legal guardian - Favorable as amended, House Judiciary subcommittee
- S.176 (Alexander) - Provides that death certificates must be electronically filed within three days after death with the Bureau of Vital Statistics - Favorable report, House 3M subcommittee
- S.341 (Kimpson) - Requires hospitals to provide parents of newborns educational information on renal medullary carcinoma - Adjourned debate, House 3M subcommittee
- R.4538 (DHEC) - CON regulations for health facilities and services - Disapproval of regulations, Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee
- S.474 (O'Dell) - Amends the definition of "authorized health care provider" for the purpose of providing mental health services - Favorable report, House 3M subcommittee
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Chamber Actions
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- S.426 (Sheheen) - Establishes a mental health court program to divert mentally ill offenders to appropriate treatment programs - Received third reading in House and enrolled for ratification
- H.3114 (Nanney) - Prohibits abortions at twenty or more weeks and provides penalties - Debate interrupted with Sen. Bright retaining the floor
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May 15, 2015
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