H 4483 General Bill, By Ballentine and Howard
 A BILL TO AMEND SECTION 43-21-200, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976,
 RELATING TO PHYSICIANS SELECTED AS PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT
 PROGRAM OF THE DIVISION ON AGING, SO AS TO CHANGE CERTAIN PROGRAM
 REQUIREMENTS.

   12/13/17  House  Prefiled
   12/13/17  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works
   01/09/18  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 126)
   01/09/18  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 126)
   02/21/18  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Howard
   02/22/18  House  Recalled from Committee on Education and Public
                     Works (House Journal-page 52)
   02/22/18  House  Committed to Committee on Medical, Military,
                     Public and Municipal Affairs (House Journal-page 52)

TO AMEND SECTION 43-21-200, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO PHYSICIANS SELECTED AS PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM OF THE DIVISION ON AGING, SO AS TO CHANGE CERTAIN PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

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

SECTION    1.    Section 43-21-200(C) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(C)(1)    A physician accepted for the program shall execute a contract with the division in which the physician agrees:

(a)    to practice in this State for no fewer than five consecutive years immediately following completion of his or her fellowship;

(b)    to accept Medicare and Medicaid patients;

(c)    to accept reimbursement or contractual binding rates; and

(d)    not to discriminate against patients based on the ability to pay.

(2)    Upon execution of the contract, the division shall reimburse student loan payments made by the physician during the last completed calendar quarter. No more than four two physicians a year may participate in the program unless sufficient funding is available to reimburse, in accordance with this section, more than four two physicians a year. The total amount that may be reimbursed to one physician is thirty-five one hundred thousand dollars multiplied by the number of years of the fellowship completed, prorated for periods less than one year."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.