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A260, R351, S1120

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senator Moore
Document Path: l:\s-resmin\bills\moore\smin0088.tlm.doc

Introduced in the Senate on March 31, 2004
Introduced in the House on April 13, 2004
Passed by the General Assembly on May 20, 2004
Governor's Action: July 6, 2004, Signed

Summary: State health care system, definitions, inclusion of rural hospitals

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   3/31/2004  Senate  Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar without 
                        reference SJ-12
    4/1/2004          Scrivener's error corrected
    4/6/2004  Senate  Read second time SJ-30
    4/7/2004  Senate  Read third time and sent to House SJ-24
   4/13/2004  House   Introduced and read first time HJ-17
   4/13/2004  House   Referred to Committee on Medical, Military, Public and 
                        Municipal Affairs HJ-17
   5/12/2004  House   Committee report: Favorable Medical, Military, Public 
                        and Municipal Affairs HJ-8
   5/19/2004  House   Read second time HJ-41
   5/20/2004  House   Read third time and enrolled HJ-48
    6/2/2004          Ratified R 351
    7/6/2004          Signed By Governor
   7/13/2004          Copies available
   7/13/2004          Effective date 07/06/04
   7/14/2004          Act No. 260

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

3/31/2004
3/31/2004-A
4/1/2004
5/12/2004

(A260, R351, S1120)

AN ACT TO AMEND ARTICLE 7, CHAPTER 6, TITLE 44, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE RECOGNITION AND DESIGNATION OF FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS AND RURAL HEALTH CLINICS, SO AS TO ADD RURAL HOSPITALS TO THIS RECOGNITION AND DESIGNATION AND TO DEFINE RURAL HOSPITALS.

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

Federally Qualified Health Centers

SECTION    1.    Article 7, Chapter 6, Title 44 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

Section 44-6-910.    (A)    Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC's), Rural Health Clinics (RHC's), and Rural Hospitals are recognized and designated as essential community providers for underserved patients which include Medicaid and Medicare recipients, the underinsured, and the uninsured. These populations require more extensive services by community-based providers, and the FQHC's, RHC's, and Rural Hospitals have extensive experience and knowledge in providing quality, cost-effective care for these populations. The State shall include these essential community providers as contracted entities in any formulation of the state health care system. The inclusion of FQHC's, RHC's, and Rural Hospitals as contracted entities in the state health care system recognizes the importance of these providers to South Carolina and assures that the reimbursement to these essential community providers will be funded through cost-based reimbursement or a capitated fee based on reasonable costs.

(B)    A hospital located in an urban area (MSA County), can be considered 'rural' for the purposes of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program if it meets the following criteria:

(1)    enrolled as both a Medicaid and Medicare provider and accepts assignment for all Medicaid and Medicare patients;

(2)    provides emergency health care services to indigent patients;

(3)    maintains a twenty-four hour emergency room;

(4)    staffs fifty or less acute care beds; and

(5)    located in a county with twenty-five percent or more rural residents, as defined by the most recent United States decennial census."

Time effective

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 2nd day of June, 2004.

Approved the 6th day of July, 2004.

This web page was last updated on Monday, December 7, 2009 at 10:22 A.M.