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require health care facilities that perform mammography to inform mammography patients on breast density.

Health care facilities in South Dakota that perform mammograms must now notify patients about their breast tissue density and explain what that means for their breast cancer risk. This is a new requirement aimed at ensuring women have complete information about their mammogram results so they can make informed decisions about additional screening if needed.

prohibit the cancellation or nonrenewal of a health insurance policy for a preexisting condition.

SB186 prevents health insurance companies from canceling or refusing to renew a person's policy because they have a preexisting medical condition. This strengthens protections for South Dakota residents by making it illegal for insurers to drop or deny coverage renewal based on someone's health history or existing illness.

provide certain provisions regarding nursing facility closures.

# SB61 Summary SB61 establishes new requirements for nursing facilities that plan to close, including rules about notifying residents, families, and the state health department well in advance, and ensuring proper transition plans so residents can move safely to other care facilities. The bill aims to protect vulnerable nursing home residents by giving them and their families adequate time to find alternative care and preventing sudden closures that could disrupt patient care.

revise certain provisions regarding hospital liens.

# SB70 Summary SB70 revises South Dakota's hospital lien law, which allows hospitals to claim a portion of settlement money from patients' lawsuits to cover unpaid medical bills. The bill makes changes to how hospitals can file these liens, what information they must provide, and how disputes over lien amounts are resolved, making the process more transparent and giving patients clearer rights to challenge excessive claims.

revise certain provisions regarding health insurance coverage.

HB1236 clarifies which types of health insurance plans are exempt from certain state insurance regulations by specifically excluding plans that must follow federal health care law (like those under the Affordable Care Act) and other limited benefit plans from South Dakota's requirements in sections 58-17-154 to 58-17-162. The bill takes effect January 1, 2020, and essentially removes these federally-regulated and limited plans from the scope of state insurance rules that previously may have applied to them.

authorize electronic monitoring of residents in assisted living centers and nursing facilities.

HB1268 allows nursing homes and assisted living facilities to use electronic monitoring (like cameras or sensors) to watch over residents, with permission from the resident or their legal representative. This expands what's currently permitted in these facilities by establishing clear rules about when and how such monitoring can happen. The bill aims to improve safety and supervision while protecting residents' privacy through these new guidelines.

remove exceptions to certain health insurance policies.

# HB1271 Summary This bill removes specific exemptions that currently allow certain health insurance policies to operate outside standard state insurance regulations. By eliminating these exceptions, all affected health insurance policies will need to comply with the same coverage and consumer protection rules as other insurance products in South Dakota.

provide for the payment of claims for covered services provided by a health care professional via telehealth.

SB137 requires South Dakota health insurance plans to reimburse healthcare providers for telehealth services at the same rate they would pay for in-person visits, ensuring patients have equal access to remote medical care without higher out-of-pocket costs. The bill removes any financial barriers that might discourage people from using telehealth by guaranteeing that insurance companies cannot pay less for a video visit with a doctor than they would for an office appointment.

provide for the use of certain general funds to increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for existing Medicaid providers.

SB 62 directs South Dakota to use general state funds to pay Medicaid providers higher reimbursement rates for the services they already provide to Medicaid patients. This increases what the state pays doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare providers who treat low-income patients covered by Medicaid, without changing who qualifies for Medicaid or what services are covered.

revise certain provisions regarding pharmacy benefit managers.

HB1137 strengthens regulations on pharmacy benefit managers (the companies that manage prescription drug benefits for insurance plans) by requiring them to be more transparent about their fees and practices, and prohibiting certain conflicts of interest that could drive up drug costs for consumers. The bill gives the state insurance commissioner more authority to oversee these companies and ensure they're operating fairly. These changes aim to reduce prescription drug costs and make the pharmacy benefit system more transparent for South Dakota residents and insurers.

revise certain provisions regarding licenses for speech-language pathology services.

SB146 revises the licensing requirements for speech-language pathologists in South Dakota by modifying credential standards and potentially streamlining the application process for these healthcare professionals. The bill adjusts what qualifications and documentation speech-language pathologists must submit to obtain and maintain their state licenses. These changes aim to make it easier for qualified professionals to become licensed while ensuring they still meet appropriate standards to practice in South Dakota.

revise certain provisions regarding association health plans.

SB37 modifies South Dakota's rules for association health plans, which are group health insurance plans that allow small businesses and self-employed individuals to band together to get better insurance rates. The bill adjusts how these plans operate and what requirements apply to them, though the specific changes would depend on the bill's detailed provisions regarding eligibility, coverage standards, or regulatory oversight.

revise certain provisions regarding medical assistance payments to nursing home facilities.

# HB1199 Summary This bill revises how South Dakota pays nursing homes for medical assistance (Medicaid) services, though the specific payment changes are not detailed in the title alone. To provide an accurate summary of what payments are being adjusted and how it affects nursing facilities, I would need to review the bill's actual text and amendments.

establish certain provisions regarding inspections of food service and mobile food service establishments.

HB1208 updates South Dakota's rules for inspecting restaurants and mobile food services (like food trucks) by establishing new inspection procedures and requirements. The bill specifies how often these establishments must be inspected, what inspectors must check for, and what happens when violations are found. This replaces the previous inspection framework with clearer, more detailed standards for keeping food service safe.

accommodate legislation on Medicaid provider reimbursements.

SB131 adjusts how South Dakota pays Medicaid providers for their services, modifying reimbursement rates or payment methods to align with federal Medicaid requirements or state budgetary needs. The specific changes allow the state to update provider payments without needing separate legislative approval each time reimbursement adjustments are needed. This gives the state Department of Health more flexibility in managing Medicaid costs while ensuring healthcare providers continue serving low-income South Dakotans.

provide for the utilization of telehealth by a health care professional.

SB136 allows health care professionals in South Dakota to provide telehealth services (medical care via phone, video, or other remote technology) to patients. The bill expands access to care by removing barriers that previously prevented or restricted remote consultations, prescribing, and treatment recommendations.

provide for a form a physician must use to obtain consent to an abortion.

SB72 requires physicians to use a specific state-approved form when obtaining a patient's consent before performing an abortion. The bill establishes what information and acknowledgments must be included on this form to ensure informed consent. This creates a new standardized procedure that all South Dakota doctors must follow when performing abortions.

exempt certain medical providers from licensure.

SB78 allows certain medical providers to practice in South Dakota without obtaining a state license, provided they meet alternative credentialing requirements such as federal certification or out-of-state licensure. This change exempts qualifying providers—likely including telehealth practitioners, military medical personnel, or other federally credentialed professionals—from South Dakota's standard licensing process while still maintaining quality standards through other verification methods.

provide parents with certain rights regarding health care treatment of a minor child.

HB1205 requires health care providers to notify parents before providing certain health care services to their minor children, with limited exceptions for emergency situations and services like vaccinations. The bill expands parental notification rights beyond current law, though it includes narrow carve-outs for cases where a provider reasonably believes the minor is in danger or where state or federal law requires different rules. This gives parents greater oversight of their children's medical decisions while preserving some flexibility for providers in specific circumstances.

establish certain provisions regarding advance care planning.

# SB118 Summary SB118 establishes new procedures for advance care planning, allowing South Dakota residents to document their medical wishes in advance through legally recognized documents. The bill likely creates requirements for healthcare providers to inform patients about advance care planning options and may establish standards for how these documents are created, witnessed, and honored by medical facilities.

make an appropriation for increased reimbursement for care of residents of nursing facilities and assisted living facilities.

HB 1060 increases state funding to reimburse nursing facilities and assisted living facilities for the care they provide to residents. This gives these facilities more money per resident served, which is intended to help them cover rising costs of staff, supplies, and services.

enhance nursing home care in the state.

This bill directs the South Dakota Legislature to look for ways to improve nursing home care across the state, but it doesn't actually create any specific new requirements or rules. Since the bill only expresses an intent to pursue improvements rather than making concrete changes to nursing home regulations or funding, it amounts to a statement of legislative goals without enforceable legal changes.

make an appropriation to fund certain health care innovation grants, to require certain reports, expedite the nursing home rate methodology review, and to declare an emergency.

SB173 directs state funding toward health care innovation grants and speeds up the state's review of how nursing home rates are set. The bill also requires certain agencies to submit reports on these health care initiatives and declares the funding urgent enough to take effect immediately rather than waiting for the standard July 1st effective date.