Terms Used In South Carolina Code 44-7-530

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Certificate of public advantage: means the formal approval, including any conditions or modifications, by the department of a contract, business or financial arrangement, or other activities or practices between two or more health providers, health provider networks, or health care purchasers that might be construed to be violations of state or federal antitrust laws. See South Carolina Code 44-7-510
  • Cooperative agreement: means an agreement between two health providers, health provider networks, or purchasers or among more than two health care providers, health provider networks, or purchasers for the sharing, allocation, or referral of patients or the sharing or allocation of personnel, instructional programs, support services and facilities, medical, diagnostic or laboratory facilities, procedures, equipment, or other health care services traditionally offered by health care facilities or other health care providers or the acquisition or merger of assets among or by two or more health providers, health provider networks, or health care purchasers, provided the agreement does not involve price-fixing or predatory pricing or illegal tying arrangements. See South Carolina Code 44-7-510
  • Department: means the Department of Health and Environmental Control. See South Carolina Code 44-7-510
  • Health care provider: means a health care professional licensed, certified, or registered under the laws of this State, an organization licensed pursuant to § 44-69-30 or § 44-71-30, or a facility licensed pursuant to § 44-7-260 or § 44-89-40 to provide health care services or any other person as defined in § 44-7-130(15) who provides health services in a freestanding or mobile facility. See South Carolina Code 44-7-510
  • Health care purchaser: means a person or organization that purchases health care services on behalf of an identified group of persons, regardless of whether the cost of coverage of services is paid for by the purchaser or by the person receiving coverage or services including, but not limited to:

    (a) health insurers as defined by § 38-71-920;

    (b) employee health plans offered by self-insured employers;

    (c) group health coverage offered by fraternal organizations, professional associations, or other organizations;

    (d) state and federal health care programs; and

    (e) state and local public employee health plans. See South Carolina Code 44-7-510
  • Health provider networks: means an organization of health care providers which offers health services to residents of this State. See South Carolina Code 44-7-510
A health care provider, health care purchaser, or health provider network may negotiate and enter into cooperative agreements with other health care providers or health provider networks or health care purchasers if the likely benefits resulting from the agreements outweigh any likely disadvantages resulting from the agreements. Parties to a cooperative agreement may apply to the department for a certificate of public advantage. The application must include an executed written copy of the cooperative agreement and describe the nature and scope of the cooperation in the agreement and any monetary or other consideration passing to a party under the agreement including change of ownership, merger, or other change in control of the assets of either party. Information obtained by the department under this section must be available to the public unless the department certifies the information as being proprietary. The department may make this certification where a person shows to the satisfaction of the department that the information should be proprietary. The department may require an application fee from the submitting parties sufficient to cover the cost of processing the application.