South Carolina Hospital Association Newsletter

South Carolina Hospital Association Newsletter


	Inside this issue

	• House Passes Budget Bill • Legislation to Mandate Reporting of Infants Exposed to Drugs Discussed • In Other News • Chamber Action • Committee Action • Intros of Interest

	House Passes Budget Bill
	The SC House of Representatives worked overtime on Monday and Tuesday this week approving their version of the state funding bill, H.3720. The House adopted recommendations from the Ways and Means Committee for most sections, including for the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Disabilities and Special Needs (DDSN), Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS), and the Department of Social Services (DSS). Highlights of the funding include: Continued funding for the MUSC Hospital Authority to maintain the SC Telemedicine Network and work with DHHS and the SC Telehealth Alliance New funding for the MUSC Hospital Authority to open an Adult Burn Unit in Charleston Instructs the MUSC Hospital Authority to work with DHHS to study how to partner with existing rural hospitals to ensure that these regions maintain access to medical care Continued funding for the Rural Physicians Program which provides medical school loan payback incentives for physicians agreeing to practice in specific rural areas in South Carolina Continued funding for the Rural Health Initiative and instructs the department to partner financially with USC and MUSC to further develop statewide teaching partnerships and to incentivize the development of primary care access in rural South Carolina in consultation with the Office of Rural Health Expected step down in funding to Primary Care Safety Net providers for the Healthy Outcomes Plan, or HOP New funding for department to bring the BabyNet program for young children with developmental delays into compliance with federal requirements Directs DHHS to provide for Personal Emergency Response System for Medicaid recipients pursuant to the department's Medicaid Home and Community-based waiver. The House budget will now go to the Senate Finance Committee for review and they will report their recommendations to the full Senate.
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	Legislation to Mandate Reporting of Infants Exposed to Drugs Discussed
	Testimony was heard twice this week on S.447 (Young), which mandates the reporting of infants or fetuses that are exposed to alcohol or other controlled substances to the Department of Social Services (DSS). This bill is the result of a workgroup developed in response to federal law changes in last year's Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) and the Child Abuse Prevention Act (CAPTA). The group included representatives from DAODAS, SCHA, USC School of Medicine, SC Children's Hospital, and other healthcare provider groups. The legislation originally required physicians or other medical providers to report to DSS in three instances: a child from birth to age one is diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder; a child from birth to age one is affected by the presence of alcohol or other drugs or by withdrawal from a drug; or a pregnant woman diagnosed with substance abuse disorder is not cooperating with her treatment plan. An amendment deletes the third from the legislation. The bill was carried over as amended on Wednesday to allow for further testimony and discussion. The subcommittee met again on Thursday morning and voted to report favorably on the bill as amended to the full Senate General Committee.
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	In Other News
	A Healthier State House: While House Members sat for long hours in the chamber voting on the 2018 budget, the A Healthier State House team offered a healthy break option - a stationary bike and fruit in the library. Many Members took advantage of the bike, posting pictures to social media and sharing their support of the A Healthier State House challenge and personal wellness in South Carolina. To see some of the legislators breaking a sweat, click here. American Health Care Act: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on Monday released its score of the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. As suspected, the legislation will result in as many as 24 million more Americans lacking health insurance coverage by 2026. Even so, the legislation received a close but favorable vote through the House Budget Committee on Thursday, clearing one more hurdle on its way to the House floor. Representative Mark Sanford of Charleston, SC, voted against the bill. Other highlights and an interactive tool for comparing the legislation to current law are featured on SCHA Repeal and Replace website this week. Crisis Stabilization Legislation: The full Senate Medical Affairs committee voted to report favorably on S.354 (Alexander), which defines crisis stabilization units and provides they are licensed under a DHEC category that does not require CON. The bill faced little opposition in the prior subcommittee meeting and passed the full committee. An amendment to the bill establishes that the Department of Mental Health must be a part of operating such facilities. The bill will go next to the Senate floor.
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Chamber Action

House

H.3720 (Ways and Means) - makes appropriations and provides revenue to meet ordinary expenses of state government for fiscal year 2018 - received 3^rd reading in House and referred to Senate Finance Committee
H.3721 (Ways and Means) - appropriates monies from the capital reserve fund - received 3^rd reading in House and referred to Senate Finance Committee

	Committee Action
	S.354 (Alexander) - defines crisis stabilization unit facility and establishes that such facilities are not subject to the certificate of need process - favorable as amended, Senate Medical Affairs Committee H.3438 (Henderson) - allows a pharmacist to substitute an interchangeable biological product for a specific biological product in a prescription - favorable as amended, Senate Medical Affairs Committee S.447 (Young) - requires health professionals to report to DSS when an infant or fetus is exposed to alcohol or controlled substances - favorable as amended, Senate General subcommittee H.3220 (Allison) - Establishes the South Carolina Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council, to include a health care representative - carried over, House Education and Public Works
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	Intros of Interest
	Workforce H.3968 (Sandifer) - requires minimum criminal record background checks for individuals seeking licensure from a professional board to practice their occupation - referred to House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee S.548 (Shealy) - enacts the "Sign Language Interpreters Act" to require specific competencies for sign language interpreter used by state government, schools, and hospitals - referred to House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee S.561 (Cromer) - updates requirements of pharmacy technicians and their supervising pharmacists and increases the number of pharmacy technicians a pharmacist may supervise from three to four - referred to Senate Medical Affairs Committee
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March 17, 2017