Bill 1043

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                    1043
Ratification Number:            365
Act Number:                     335
Type of Legislation:            General Bill GB
Introducing Body:               Senate
Introduced Date:                19960123
Primary Sponsor:                Short
All Sponsors:                   Short, Rose, Peeler, Richter,
                                Greg Smith, Thomas, Mescher, Moore,
                                J. Verne Smith, Courtney, Elliott,
                                Holland, Reese, Leventis, McGill, Cork,
                                Passailaigue, Rankin, Matthews, Waldrop,
                                Washington, Lander, Jackson, O'Dell and
                                Gregory 
Drafted Document Number:        res9869.lhs
Date Bill Passed both Bodies:   19960508
Date of Last Amendment:         19960501
Governor's Action:              S
Date of Governor's Action:      19960520
Subject:                        Insurance for mother and
                                child

Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________

------  19960530  Act No. A335
------  19960520  Signed by Governor
------  19960514  Ratified R365
Senate  19960508  Concurred in House amendment, 
                  enrolled for ratification
House   19960502  Read third time, returned to Senate
                  with amendment
House   19960501  Amended, read second time
House   19960424  Committee report: Favorable with         26 HLCI
                  amendment
House   19960312  Introduced, read first time,             26 HLCI
                  referred to Committee
Senate  19960307  Read third time, sent to House
Senate  19960306  Amended, read second time, 
                  ordered to third reading 
                  with notice of general amendments
Senate  19960305  Committee report: Favorable with         02 SBI
                  amendment
Senate  19960123  Introduced, read first time,             02 SBI
                  referred to Committee

(A335, R365, S1043)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 38-71-135 SO AS TO REQUIRE ALL INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE AND HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION POLICIES TO PROVIDE PAYMENT FOR HOSPITALIZATION OF A MOTHER AND HER CHILD, IF AT THE DISCRETION OF THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN IT IS MEDICALLY NECESSARY, FOR A PERIOD NOT TO EXCEED THE SECOND POSTPARTUM DAY, NOT INCLUDING THE DAY OF DELIVERY, AFTER A VAGINAL DELIVERY, OR THE THIRD POST-OPERATIVE DAY, NOT INCLUDING THE DAY OF SURGERY, AFTER A CAESARIAN SECTION, AND TO PROVIDE FOR EXCEPTIONS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Insurance coverage and HMO's to provide minimum postpartum length of stay

SECTION 1. Title 38, Chapter 71 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 38-71-135. All individual and group health insurance and health maintenance organization policies providing coverage for the hospitalization and attendant professional services of a mother and her newborn child or children must, if at the discretion of the attending physician it is medically necessary, provide for the mother and her newborn child or children to remain in the hospital for a period not to exceed the second postpartum day after a vaginal delivery, not including the day of delivery, and the third post-operative day following a Caesarian Section, not including the day of surgery. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the attending physician from requesting additional time for hospitalization or releasing the mother or her newborn child or children prior to the expiration time provided herein."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect October 1, 1996.

Approved the 20th day of May, 1996.