Healthcare

SB 233 prohibits health insurance carriers from charging administrative fees or penalties to healthcare providers for care involving out-of-network providers. This directly affects health care providers who treat patients using out-of-network services and health carriers that typically impose such fees. The bill’s key provision bans carriers from assessing these fees for any care provided by a provider not contracted with the carrier (defined as "out-of-network"). It creates a clear policy change requiring carriers to cover such care without additional administrative costs to providers.

SB 8 allows South Dakota public schools to stock and administer epinephrine nasal spray (in addition to auto-injectors) for students experiencing severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) during school hours. It requires schools to adopt clear policies for storage and use, notify parents about these policies, and train designated staff (like school nurses) to recognize allergic reactions, administer the nasal spray, and provide emergency care. The bill also provides liability protection for schools and staff who follow the protocol, shielding them from ordinary negligence claims when acting in good faith during emergencies. This directly affects all public school districts, students with allergies, and school personnel authorized to respond to allergic emergencies.

This bill (HB 1023) allows registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to serve on ambulance crews in South Dakota under specific conditions. It requires nurses to demonstrate competence in emergency care skills to medical or program directors before working on ambulances, and mandates that their care must stay within their license scope and be supervised. The bill also provides liability protection for RNs and LPNs for routine ambulance care, shielding them from most civil lawsuits unless the care involved gross negligence or willful misconduct. This directly affects ambulance services seeking to employ nurses and the nurses themselves who wish to provide emergency care on ambulances.

SB 104 requires South Dakota's Medicaid program to reimburse licensed therapists for equine-assisted therapy. The bill mandates reimbursement for physical therapists, occupational therapists, or speech-language pathologists who provide therapy using horse-human interactions to help patients meet treatment goals. This applies to Medicaid recipients and requires the state to submit a federal plan amendment by August 1, 2026, to implement the coverage. The law specifically defines "therapy using equine movement" as therapeutic activities leveraging horse interactions to achieve clinical objectives.

This bill appropriates $500 million in federal funds to the South Dakota Department of Health to implement the rural health transformation program, authorized under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Pub. L. No. 119-21). It directly affects rural healthcare providers and facilities by funding program implementation. Key provisions include requiring the health secretary to approve vouchers for payments and mandating unspent funds by June 30, 2031, to revert per state law. The bill also declares an emergency to expedite its implementation upon passage.