H 4549  General Bill, By M.M.Smith and McGarry
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 44-7-130, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO HEALTH CARE FACILITY LICENSURE DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO ADD A
 DEFINITION FOR "ACUTE HOSPITAL CARE AT HOME" AND CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF
 "HOSPITAL"; TO AMEND SECTION 44-7-170, RELATING TO CERTIFICATE OF NEED PROGRAM
 EXEMPTIONS, SO AS TO EXEMPT ACUTE HOSPITAL CARE AT HOME PROGRAMS AND SERVICES;
 AND BY ADDING SECTION 44-7-267 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
 ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO PROMULGATE REGULATIONS FOR LICENSING ACUTE  HOSPITAL
 CARE AT HOME PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.

   11/10/21  House  Prefiled
   11/10/21  House  Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
   01/11/22  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 51)
   01/11/22  House  Referred to Committee on Ways and Means
                     (House Journal-page 51)

TO AMEND SECTION 44-7-130, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO HEALTH CARE FACILITY LICENSURE DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO ADD A DEFINITION FOR "ACUTE HOSPITAL CARE AT HOME" AND CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF "HOSPITAL"; TO AMEND SECTION 44-7-170, RELATING TO CERTIFICATE OF NEED PROGRAM EXEMPTIONS, SO AS TO EXEMPT ACUTE HOSPITAL CARE AT HOME PROGRAMS AND SERVICES; AND BY ADDING SECTION 44-7-267 SO AS TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL TO PROMULGATE REGULATIONS FOR LICENSING ACUTE HOSPITAL CARE AT HOME PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.

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

SECTION    1. A.    Section 44-7-130 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding an appropriately numbered item at the end to read:   

    "( )    'Acute hospital care at home' means acute-level hospital care to treat a subset of diagnoses that respond safely and effectively to home-based acute care, utilizing technology to provide continuous remote patient monitoring and connectivity to the patient and developing in-home services to ensure the same level of care in the home as in a traditional hospital stay as well as patient safety. Acute hospital care at home must be provided by a hospital licensed pursuant to this article to eligible patients who have provided consent to such care, utilizing a multidisciplinary team to deliver the care."

B.    Section 44-7-130(12) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

    "(12)    'Hospital' means a facility organized and administered to provide overnight medical or surgical care or nursing care of illness, injury, or infirmity and may provide obstetrical care and acute hospital care at home, and in which all diagnoses, treatment, or care is administered by or under the direction of persons currently licensed to practice medicine, surgery, or osteopathy."

SECTION 2. Section 44-7-170(A) of the 1976 Code is amended by adding an appropriately numbered item at the end to read:

"( ) acute hospital care at home programs and services delivered by a licensed acute care hospital. Notwithstanding subsection (C), the delivery of acute hospital care at home programs and services by a licensed acute care hospital does not require a written exemption from the department."

SECTION    3.    Article 3, Chapter 7, Title 44 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

    "Section 44-7-267.    The department shall promulgate regulations for licensing an acute care hospital's acute hospital care at home programs and services. At a minimum, the regulations must address:

    (1)    diagnoses that respond safely and effectively to home-based acute care;

    (2)    patient eligibility criteria and screening requirements, including patient consent;

    (3)    multidisciplinary team requirements, including roles and responsibilities of team members;

    (4)    standards for continuous remote patient monitoring and connectivity with the patient;

    (5)    standards for the development of in-home services to ensure same level of care in the home as in a traditional hospital stay; and

    (6)    standards for patient safety."

SECTION    4.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.