South Carolina legislators are, in the 2025-26 session, amidst a serious debate about expanding healthcare access and scope of practice in our state. At the most fundamental level, scope of practice (SOP) in healthcare policy is defined as “the activities and duties [tasks] that a licensed or certified healthcare professional is permitted to perform, based
For years, Palmetto Promise Institute has supported Direct Primary Care (DPC) as a key reform to improve healthcare access, affordability, and doctor-patient relationships in South Carolina. With the introduction of H. 3966 by Rep. Davis (R-Moncks Corner), the General Assembly has another opportunity to solidify legal protections for this innovative care model. This legislation comes
In the 126th General Assembly, key South Carolina legislators are working to pass S.46, a bill that signals that physician non-compete agreements both interfere with physician-patient relationships and corporatize the practice of medicine. The bill is designed to put an end to medical non-competes. What is a noncompete agreement? A noncompete agreement is a legal
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an innovative healthcare model being embraced by patients, providers, employers, and policymakers across the United States.
South Carolina’s CON program is one of the most restrictive in the United States. South Carolina requires a CON for 18 different services, including hospital renovations/new equipment that is over $600,000 and adding one or more hospital beds to a facility.
Download this report. Since 1971, South Carolina has been among the states that have restricted supply of healthcare services through Certificate of Need, or CON, laws. Rather than market demand determining the supply, under CON laws, clinicians and medical facilities must seek approval from the state before purchasing or expanding services they provide to patients.
Note: The regulatory environment during COVID-19 is a quickly developing issue, so we will update this post regularly with new information. The medical necessities of the COVID-19 pandemic have identified regulations—some perhaps legitimate, many unnecessary—which have been suspended to boost South Carolina’s healthcare capabilities, and respond to the pressing needs of workers, small businesses, and our economy.
Governor McMaster, along with South Carolina agencies, have been waiving healthcare regulations and red tape during this crisis, but there is more to be done. View our list of South Carolina’s deregulatory moves so far. Here is the short list of new ideas for additional flexibility that could make a real difference. This situation is
The medical necessities of the COVID-19 pandemic have identified regulations—some perhaps legitimate, many unnecessary—which have been suspended to boost South Carolina’s healthcare capabilities, and respond to the pressing needs of workers, small businesses, and our economy. Many actions have been by Executive Order of the Governor. Others have come directly from state agencies adapting to
Most South Carolina families and employers find themselves in a healthcare No Man’s Land: They earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but struggle to pay healthcare premiums that seem to rise every year.
