This bill would allow patients and their doctors to bypass insurance companies and requirements by setting up direct primary care agreements and protect those agreements from regulation by the Department of Insurance. A “direct primary care agreement” is defined as a written agreement between a patient and their doctor that certain healthcare services be provided for a periodic fee, which could be paid by a third party.
Many of the barriers to affordable healthcare options are products of state regulation. For instance, South Carolina imposes 30 different coverage mandates on health insurance providers, guaranteeing that the cost of health insurance remains high and making it nearly impossible for smaller providers to compete.
This bill combines deregulation with innovation and acknowledges the fact that government has no business interfering in a patient’s relationship with his/her doctor. This approach will help lower costs and lessen burdensome regulations for both individuals and healthcare providers.