Section 44-139-20 - DefinitionsFor the purposes of this chapter:
(1) "Conscience" means the religious, moral, or ethical beliefs or principles held by any medical practitioner, health care institutions, and health care payers. Conscience with respect to institutional entities or corporate bodies, as opposed to individual persons, is determined by reference to that entity or body's governing documents including, but not limited to, any published religious, moral, or ethical guidelines or directives; mission statements; constitutions; articles of incorporation; bylaws; policies; or regulations.(2) "Disclosure" means a formal or informal communication or transmission, but does not include a communication or transmission concerning policy decisions that lawfully exercise discretionary authority unless the medical practitioner providing the disclosure or transmission reasonably believes that the disclosure or transmission evinces: (a) any violation of any law, rule, or regulation;(b) any violation of any standard of care or other ethical guidelines for the provision of any health care service; or(c) gross mismanagement, a gross waste of funds, an abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.(3) "Discrimination" means any adverse action taken against, or any threat of adverse action communicated to, any medical practitioner, health care institutions, and health care payers as a result of the practitioner's or entity's decision to decline to participate in a health care service on the basis of conscience. Discrimination includes, but is not limited to, termination of employment; demotion from current position; adverse administrative action; increased administrative duties; refusal of staff privileges; refusal of board certification; loss of career specialty; reduction of wages, benefits, or privileges; refusal to award a grant, contract, or other program; refusal to provide residency training opportunities; denial, deprivation, or disqualification of licensure; withholding or disqualifying from financial aid and other assistance; impediments to creating any health care institution or payer or expanding or improving said health care institution or payer; impediments to acquiring, associating with, or merging with any other health care institution or payer; the threat thereof with regard to any of the preceding; or any other penalty, disciplinary, or retaliatory action, whether executed or threatened. For the purposes of this chapter, "discrimination" does not include reassignment to a comparable role for which the employee is duly qualified, if under the same working conditions and without pecuniary impact to the practitioner.(4) "Health care service" means medical care provided to any patient at any time over the entire course of treatment. This includes, but is not limited to, examination; testing; diagnosis; dispensing and/or administering any drug, medication, or device; psychological therapy or counseling; research; prognosis; therapy; any other care or necessary services performed or provided by any medical practitioner.(5) "Health care institution" means any public or private hospital, clinic, medical center, physician organization, professional association, ambulatory surgical center, private physician's office, pharmacy, nursing home, medical school, nursing school, medical training facility, or any other entity or location in which health care services are performed on behalf of any person. Health care institutions may include, but are not limited to, organizations, corporations, partnerships, associations, agencies, networks, sole proprietorships, joint ventures, or any other entity that provides health care services.(6) "Health care payer" means any employer, health plan, health maintenance organization, insurance company, management services organization, or any other entity that pays for, or arranges for the payment of, any health care service provided to any patient, whether that payment is made in whole or in part, and that either: (a) is a health care sharing ministry as defined in 26 U.S.C. Section 5000A(d)(2)(B)(ii); or(b) holds itself out to the public as religious, states in its governing documents that it has a religious purpose or mission, and has internal operating policies or procedures that implement its religious beliefs.(7) "Medical practitioner" means any person or individual who may be or is asked to participate in any health care service. This includes, but is not limited to, doctors, nurse practitioners, physician's assistants, nurses, nurses' aides, allied health professionals, medical assistants, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, medical school faculty and students, nursing school faculty and students, psychology and counseling faculty and students, medical researchers, laboratory technicians, counselors, or social workers.(8) "Participate" in a health care service means to provide, perform, assist with, facilitate, counsel for, advise with regard to, admit for the purposes of providing, or take part in providing, any health care service or any form of such service.(9) "Pay" or "payment" means to pay for, contract for, arrange for the payment of (whether in whole or in part), reimburse, or remunerate.Added by 2022 S.C. Acts, Act No. 235 (HB 4776),s 2, eff. 6/17/2022.