South Carolina S 342: Pharmacy services

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 342 Text of Previous Version (Mar. 12, 2026) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 342

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

Indicates Matter Stricken

Indicates New Matter

Committee Report

March 12, 2026

S. 342

Introduced by Senators Rankin, Peeler, Goldfinch, 
Gambrell, Blackmon, Graham, Turner and Young 

S. Printed 3/12/26--S.

Read the first time February 13, 2025

________

The committee on Senate Banking and 
Insurance

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 342) to amend 
the South Carolina Code of Laws by amending Section 38-71-2200, relating to 
definitions, so as to define "low-volume pharmacy"; by adding Section 
38-71-2270, etc., respectfully

Report:

That they have duly and carefully considered 
the same, and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:

 Amend the bill, as and if amended, by 
deleting SECTION 1 from the bill.

Amend 
the bill further, SECTION 2, by striking Section 38-71-2270(C), (D), (E), (F), 
(G), (H) and (I) and inserting:

 (C) The professional 
dispensing fee described in this section is subject to annual review and 
adjustment by the South Carolina Department of Insurance, provided that any 
adjustment must not result in a dispensing fee less than the average cost to 
dispense a prescription drug in an ambulatory pharmacy setting in South 
Carolina.A pharmacy or pharmacist that has been 
reimbursed below the minimum amount that is required by this section may file a 
complaint with the Department of Insurance using a standard form that the 
Department must post online. Upon receipt of a complete complaint form, the 
Department must provide the information in the form to the PBM and permit it 
ten business days to respond. The Department must make a determination 
regarding the complaint within thirty days of receiving a response from the 
PBM. If the complaint is upheld, the Department must notify the pharmacy or 
pharmacist and the PBM, which must:

 (1) pay the pharmacy or pharmacist 
within thirty days twice the amount of the insufficiency of the original 
payment; and

 (2) make the change effective for 
each similarly situated pharmacy and reimburse each pharmacy the amount of 
underpayment.

 (D) A PBM may not 
reimburse a pharmacy or pharmacist for a prescription drug or pharmacy service 
in an amount less than the amount the PBM reimburses itself or an affiliate for 
the same prescription drug or pharmacy service. For the purposes of this 
section, an "affiliate" means any pharmacy, pharmacist, or pharmacy technician 
that shares common ownership with the PBM or is otherwise associated with the 
PBM.The Department of Insurance may promulgate 
regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act.

 (E) Low-volume pharmacies 
are entitled to an enhanced professional dispensing fee. The fee shall be no 
less than the dispensing fee established for low-volume pharmacies by South 
Carolina Medicaid's fee for service pharmacy benefit program.

 (F) When a pharmacy 
dispenses a specialized delivery drug, it is entitled to a dispensing fee equal 
to twice the professional dispensing fee provided in this section.

 (G) A pharmacy or 
pharmacist that has been reimbursed below the minimum amount that is required 
by this section may file a complaint with the Department of Insurance using a 
standard form that the department must post online. Upon receipt of a complete 
complaint form, the department must provide the information in the form to the 
PBM and permit it ten business days to respond. The department must make a 
determination regarding the complaint within thirty days of receiving a 
response from the PBM. If the complaint is upheld, the department must notify 
the pharmacy or pharmacist and the PBM, which must:

 (1) pay the pharmacy 
or pharmacist within thirty days twice the amount of the insufficiency of the 
original payment;

 (2) make the change 
effective for each similarly situated pharmacy and reimburse each pharmacy the 
amount of underpayment.

 (H) The Department of 
Insurance may promulgate regulations necessary to implement the provisions of 
this act, including the establishment of a certification process for low-volume 
pharmacies.

 (I) The provisions of 
this section do not apply to the coverage provided to employees, retirees, and 
their eligible dependents pursuant to Section 1-11-710 by the South Carolina 
Public Employee Benefit Authority or through its contracted pharmacy benefits 
manager.The provisions of this section do not apply to the coverage 
provided to employees, retirees, and their eligible dependents pursuant to 
Section 1-11-710 by the South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority or 
through its contracted pharmacy benefits manager.

Amend the 
bill further, by adding an appropriately numbered SECTION to read:

SECTION X. Secti