S 22 Session 111 (1995-1996)
S 0022 General Bill, By Mescher, Elliott and M.T. Rose
A Bill to amend Chapter 1, Title 44, 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 scale.
09/19/94 Senate Prefiled
09/19/94 Senate Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs
01/10/95 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-16
01/10/95 Senate Referred to Committee on Medical Affairs SJ-16
A BILL
TO AMEND CHAPTER 1, TITLE 44, 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. Now, therefore,
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.
(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.
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