H 4069

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 4069
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
Conference Report Adopted - Not Printed
June 25, 2026
H. 4069
Introduced
by Reps. Sessions, Magnuson and Wickensimer
S. Printed 6/25/26--H.
Read the first time February 20, 2025
________
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION
44-7-327 SO AS TO ESTABLISH CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO PATIENT BILLING
FOR HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPLIES.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of
South Carolina:
SECTION 1.  Article 3, Chapter 7, Title 44 of the S.C. Code is
amended by adding:
    Section
44-7-327.  (A) For purposes of this
section:
       (1)
"Debt collection" means an action, conduct, or practice in collecting, or in
soliciting for collection, consumer debts that are due or alleged to be due a
creditor.
       (2)
"Healthcare facility" means:
  (a)
acute care hospitals;
  (b)
psychiatric hospitals;
  (c)
alcohol and other substance-use disorder hospitals;
  (d)
ambulatory surgical facilities;
  (e)
hospice facilities;
  (f)
radiation therapy facilities;
  (g)
rehabilitation facilities;
  (h)
residential treatment facilities for child and adolescents;
  (i)
intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities; or
  (j)
narcotic treatment programs.
       (3)
"Healthcare service" means a service a healthcare facility provides to an
individual to diagnose, prevent, treat, alleviate, cure, or heal a human health
condition, illness, injury, or disease.
       (4)
"Itemized bill" means a document that a healthcare facility provides to a
patient outlining services provided and associated charges at the general
department or service level.
    (B)(1) Beginning January 1, 2027, a
healthcare facility that requests payment from a patient after providing a
healthcare service or related supply to the patient shall:
  (a)
provide to the patient an electronic version of the itemized bill of the
alleged remittance sought for services and supplies provided to the patient
during the patient's visit to the healthcare facility; and
  (b)
provide to the patient a copy of the written itemized bill upon request of the
alleged remittance sought for services and supplies provided to the patient
during the patent's visit to the healthcare facility.
       (2)(a) The healthcare facility must notify
the patient in clear and conspicuous language, electronically or in writing, of
the availability of obtaining an itemized copy electronically or in writing
pursuant to subsection (B)(1) and must offer the patient the ability to
indicate the preferred form of the itemized bill.
       (b)
A patient may waive the right to receive an itemized bill electronically or in
writing. An initial waiver of the right to an itemized bill does not prevent
the patient from later receiving an itemized bill upon request. The healthcare
facility must notify the patient of their right to later request an itemized
bill even if the patient initially waived their right to receive an itemized
bill.
       (3)
The itemized bill must include:
  (a)
a plain language description, in accordance with the most current billing
reading-level requirements and guidance provided by the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services, for healthcare services and supplies the healthcare
facility provided to the patient;
  (b)
the amount the healthcare facility alleges is due from the patient; and
  (c)
if the healthcare facility sought or is seeking reimbursement from a third
party, the patient's responsibility amount due to the healthcare facility
pursuant to the electronic remittance advice the provider received from the
third party under applicable law.
       (4)(a) A healthcare facility is legally
authorized to issue itemized bills electronically, including through a patient
portal on the healthcare facility's website.
  (b)
In accordance with items (1) and (2), a patient may obtain from the healthcare facility
an itemized bill upon request any time after the itemized bill is initially
issued.
    (C)
The appropriate licensing authority shall take disciplinary action against the
healthcare facility for the violation as if the healthcare facility violated an
applicable licensing law.
SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.
/s/Sen. Cash  /s/Rep.
Davis
Sen. Garrett  /s/Rep.
Sessions
/s/Sen. Ott  /s/Rep.
Waters
    On Part of the Senate  On
Part of the House
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This web page was last updated on June 25, 2026 at 03:52 PM