Bill > H3966

This bill amends South Carolina law to clarify the legal status of direct primary care (DPC) agreements, establishing that these agreements are not considered insurance contracts and are not regulated by the state's Department of Insurance. Specifically, the bill defines a direct primary care agreement as a written contract between a patient and a healthcare provider that allows for flexible termination (with up to 60 days notice), clearly describes the healthcare services to be provided for a periodic fee, permits third-party fee payments, prohibits providers from charging additional compensation for services covered in the periodic fee, and requires a prominent disclosure that the agreement is not health insurance. The key purpose is to provide legal certainty for an alternative healthcare payment model where patients pay a recurring fee directly to a healthcare provider for a defined set of primary care services, without treating the arrangement as traditional health insurance. The bill would take effect upon the Governor's approval, providing a clear statutory framework for direct primary care arrangements in South Carolina.

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https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=3966&session=126&summary=B