Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Bill Tracker link: scha.org/bill-tracking
As the South Carolina General Assembly marks its tenth week in session, the healthcare landscape in Columbia continues to evolve! While much of the floor debate this week centered on the regulation of hemp-derived products, the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) remains laser-focused on several key priorities that directly impact our hospitals, our workforce, and our patients.
Here is a look at where our most critical issues stand and what we’re watching in the weeks ahead.
The HALO Act
One of our primary goals this session is ensuring that every individual who walks into a hospital to provide life-saving care is protected. While the Senate recently passed a version of the HALO Act, it unfortunately omitted essential protections for healthcare workers.
We are working closely with our allies in the Senate to introduce an amendment that mirrors the House’s language. Our position is clear: protections should extend beyond emergency department staff to include everyone working within our hospitals. We are eager for the Senate to take up this debate and ask for your continued engagement in our grassroots efforts to ensure our workforce is safe.
Movement on Other Issues
We saw positive movement this week in the Senate Medical Affairs Committee on two front-burner issues:
Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Designation: This legislation creates a state pathway for a new federal designation from CMS. It allows struggling rural hospitals to maintain critical emergency and outpatient services with higher Medicare payments, even if they choose to transition away from inpatient beds. This bill moves to a House Ways and Means Subcommittee next Tuesday.
Hallway Bed Flexibility: Under the leadership of Chairman Verdin, legislation passed that allows hospitals the flexibility to place patients in beds outside of standard rooms during emergencies. A recent amendment clarifies the protocols for designating these emergencies, ensuring hospitals can manage surges effectively without administrative gridlock.
Ongoing Deliberations: Behavioral Health & The Budget
Not every bill moves in a straight line. S.299, which addresses alternative transportation for non-violent behavioral health patients, has been sent back to subcommittee. While there is broad agreement on the need for the bill, concerns regarding liability fixes remain. We are hopeful that a solution involving all stakeholders will be reached in the coming weeks.
On the financial front, the Senate Finance Subcommittees are deep into the State Appropriations Act. Our current focus is the Medicaid budget, which is currently allocated $175 million in the House-passed version. We’re still aggressively advocating for the full $203 million requested by SC DHHS, even as we recognize that recent tax cuts have tightened the Senate’s available revenue.
Fully funding the Medicaid agency, of course, is absolutely necessary for maintaining the vital resources for the more than 1 million South Carolinians who depend on the program for essential health coverage. Full committee debates are set to begin the week of April 7. Be on the lookout for SCHA’s grassroots campaign on the issue soon!
Hospitals at the State House
With the House returning from furlough next week, we look forward to hosting Prisma Health as our Hospital of the Week. Their Midlands division will be at the State House on Tuesday, followed by the Upstate division on Thursday.
We have also launched a new Bill Tracker on our website. This tool shows which bills we are monitoring and, more importantly, which we are actively advocating for.
Bill Tracker link: scha.org/bill-tracking
As the South Carolina General Assembly marks its tenth week in session, the healthcare landscape in Columbia continues to evolve! While much of the floor debate this week centered on the regulation of hemp-derived products, the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA) remains laser-focused on several key priorities that directly impact our hospitals, our workforce, and our patients.
Here is a look at where our most critical issues stand and what we’re watching in the weeks ahead.
The HALO Act
One of our primary goals this session is ensuring that every individual who walks into a hospital to provide life-saving care is protected. While the Senate recently passed a version of the HALO Act, it unfortunately omitted essential protections for healthcare workers.
We are working closely with our allies in the Senate to introduce an amendment that mirrors the House’s language. Our position is clear: protections should extend beyond emergency department staff to include everyone working within our hospitals. We are eager for the Senate to take up this debate and ask for your continued engagement in our grassroots efforts to ensure our workforce is safe.
Movement on Other Issues
We saw positive movement this week in the Senate Medical Affairs Committee on two front-burner issues:
Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Designation: This legislation creates a state pathway for a new federal designation from CMS. It allows struggling rural hospitals to maintain critical emergency and outpatient services with higher Medicare payments, even if they choose to transition away from inpatient beds. This bill moves to a House Ways and Means Subcommittee next Tuesday.
Hallway Bed Flexibility: Under the leadership of Chairman Verdin, legislation passed that allows hospitals the flexibility to place patients in beds outside of standard rooms during emergencies. A recent amendment clarifies the protocols for designating these emergencies, ensuring hospitals can manage surges effectively without administrative gridlock.
Ongoing Deliberations: Behavioral Health & The Budget
Not every bill moves in a straight line. S.299, which addresses alternative transportation for non-violent behavioral health patients, has been sent back to subcommittee. While there is broad agreement on the need for the bill, concerns regarding liability fixes remain. We are hopeful that a solution involving all stakeholders will be reached in the coming weeks.
On the financial front, the Senate Finance Subcommittees are deep into the State Appropriations Act. Our current focus is the Medicaid budget, which is currently allocated $175 million in the House-passed version. We’re still aggressively advocating for the full $203 million requested by SC DHHS, even as we recognize that recent tax cuts have tightened the Senate’s available revenue.
Fully funding the Medicaid agency, of course, is absolutely necessary for maintaining the vital resources for the more than 1 million South Carolinians who depend on the program for essential health coverage. Full committee debates are set to begin the week of April 7. Be on the lookout for SCHA’s grassroots campaign on the issue soon!
Hospitals at the State House
With the House returning from furlough next week, we look forward to hosting Prisma Health as our Hospital of the Week. Their Midlands division will be at the State House on Tuesday, followed by the Upstate division on Thursday.
We have also launched a new Bill Tracker on our website. This tool shows which bills we are monitoring and, more importantly, which we are actively advocating for.
