H 4047 Joint Resolution, By  House Judiciary
 A JOINT RESOLUTION TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION
 COMMISSION, RELATING TO MEDICAL REPORTS, PHYSICIAN'S FEES, AND HOSPITAL
 CHARGES, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 2166, PURSUANT TO THE
 PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE 1976 CODE.

   04/17/97  House  Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar
                     without reference HJ-19
   04/29/97  House  Read second time HJ-24
   04/30/97  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-17
   05/01/97  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-15
   05/01/97  Senate Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-15

April 17, 1997

H. 4047

S. Printed 4/17/97--H.

Read the first time April 17, 1997.

TO APPROVE REGULATIONS OF THE WORKERS' COMPENSATION COMMISSION, RELATING TO MEDICAL REPORTS, PHYSICIAN'S FEES, AND HOSPITAL CHARGES, DESIGNATED AS REGULATION DOCUMENT NUMBER 2166, PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 1, CHAPTER 23, TITLE 1 OF THE 1976 CODE.

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

SECTION 1. The regulations of the Workers' Compensation Commission, relating to medical reports, physician's fees, and hospital charges, designated as Regulation Document Number 2166, and submitted to the General Assembly pursuant to the provisions of Article 1, Chapter 23, Title 1 of the 1976 Code, are approved.

SECTION 2. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

SUMMARY AS SUBMITTED BY PROMULGATING AGENCY.

The commission proposes to substantially amend Article 13 so as to address changing practice in medical treatment and to reflect changes in commission practice in the medical payment system. These final regulations establish change in virtually every section of Article 13 as previously written.

Section-by-Section Discussion:

Table of Contents: The Analysis Line of each Regulation has

been changed.

67-1301 Revised to simplify wording and eliminate the filing of various reports.

67-1302 Revised language for clarity in the explanation of a new system of payment based on a relative value scale and a conversion factor set by the commission.

67-1303 Revised to implement a new hospital payment schedule for inpatient services.

67-1304 Revised to address hospital outpatient services and ambulatory surgical centers which were not widely used when the regulations were first promulgated.

67-1305 Revised to concisely plan for review of all medical bills and for the resolution of any contested medical bills submitted to the commission for review because of noncompliance with payment guidelines.

67-1306 Revised to reflect actual practice of the commission which is a change since this regulation was first promulgated.