S 1391 General Bill, By Mescher
 A Bill to amend Chapter 1, Title 44, of the Code of Laws of South Carolina,
 1976, by adding Section 44-1-250 so as to provide that the State through its
 agencies shall implement a program so that women who are residents of South
 Carolina at or below 185 percent above the poverty level shall have the
 opportunity for voluntary insertion or injection of long term implants or
 injectable methods of contraception at no cost and that women at 186 to 250
 percent above the poverty level shall voluntarily have the opportunity for
 these forms of contraceptives on a sliding fee scale.

   04/28/94  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-7
   04/28/94  Senate Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs SJ-7

A BILL

TO AMEND CHAPTER 1, TITLE 44, OF THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 44-1-250 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE THROUGH ITS AGENCIES SHALL IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM SO THAT WOMEN WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT OR BELOW 185 PERCENT ABOVE THE POVERTY LEVEL SHALL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR VOLUNTARY INSERTION OR INJECTION OF LONG TERM IMPLANTS OR INJECTABLE METHODS OF CONTRACEPTION AT NO COST AND THAT WOMEN AT 186 TO 250 PERCENT ABOVE THE POVERTY LEVEL SHALL VOLUNTARILY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE FORMS OF CONTRACEPTIVES ON A SLIDING FEE SCALE.

Whereas, more than 31.8 million women in the U.S. are currently at risk of unintended pregnancies and over half of the six million pregnancies annually in the United States are unintended; and

Whereas, the national figures are representative of the need for a heightened awareness about family planning and a new energy being infused into family planning in South Carolina; and

Whereas, effective family planning alleviates the exploding population rate; and

Whereas, effective family planning reduces unintended pregnancies and thus the social, environmental and economic costs associated with them; and

Whereas, effective family planning helps a couple delay their first child if they are unprepared to have children or if they need time for each other before starting a family; and Whereas, effective family planning removes fear for couples who cannot afford to have a baby and enables them to increase their standard of living; and

Whereas, effective family planning can help couples make a wise decision about whether to have a child if tests show a likelihood of having a seriously disabled child; and

Whereas, the long term implants or injectable methods of birth control have an effectiveness rate of 99.8 percent; and

Whereas, most side effects associated with these contraceptives are not serious; and

Whereas, the costs of using long-term implants or injectable methods of contraception are commensurate with other methods of birth control; and

Whereas, the average estimated costs of family planning reproductive health services is approximately $200 per year per woman using a long-term implant or injectable method of contraception compared to the average cost of $1500 for low risk and $2600 for high risk prenatal care and delivery, and neonatal and infant care averages approximately $6,000 per year per case, the average health care cost per low birth weight baby is $22,000 and the lifelong cost of supporting one child with severe mental retardation is up to $2,000,000; and

Whereas, it is crucial that family planning be fully supported by the General Assembly of South Carolina for the fiscal savings and the general health and well being of its inhabitants; and

Whereas, as provided by the State through its agencies, women who are residents of South Carolina at or below 185 percent above the poverty level should have the opportunity for voluntary insertion or injection of long term implants or injectable methods of contraception at no cost and women at 186 to 250 percent above the poverty level should have the opportunity for these forms of contraceptives on a sliding fee scale.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 1, Title 44 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 44-1-250. The Department of Health and Environmental Control shall administer, consistent with federal guidelines and in coordination with other state agencies, a program which provides women who are residents of the State of South Carolina who voluntarily desire long term implants or injectable methods of contraception as provided below.

The following scale represents the percentage of the costs to be borne by female clients in South Carolina who desire to use a long term temporary method of contraception who are between 186 percent and 250 percent above the federal poverty guidelines.

(1) If the woman is more than two hundred fifty percent above the federal poverty level, then she shall bear one hundred percent of the cost;

(2) If the woman is more than two hundred twenty-five percent above the federal poverty level but less than or equal to two hundred fifty percent above the federal poverty level, then she shall bear seventy-five percent of the cost;

(3) If the woman is more than two hundred percent above the federal poverty level but less than or equal to two hundred twenty-five percent above the federal poverty level, then she shall bear fifty percent of the cost;

(4) If the woman is more than one hundred eighty five percent above the federal poverty level but less than or equal to two hundred percent above the federal poverty level, then she shall bear twenty-five percent of the cost; and

(5) If the woman is less than one or equal to one hundred eighty-five percent above the federal poverty level, then she shall bear none of the cost."

SECTION 2. This bill takes affect upon approval of the Governor.