As news of the spread of COVID-19 made headlines all over the state, Palmetto Promise Institute noticed a dangerous level of confusion in two critical areas of pandemic preparedness and care: telemedicine and Certificate of Need (CON) hospital bed limitations. Other states were acting, but what about South Carolina?

Could physicians licensed in other states have the freedom to see patients by phone and through video portals in the Palmetto State? Could hospitals bound by arcane CON bed limits have the freedom to exceed that limit if they were overrun with COVID-19 patients?

There were no ready answers, and certainly no written directives, so we raised the issue on March 16^th, and a couple days later, Governor McMaster acted, issuing as part of a COVID executive order that directed that Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) could indeed waive CON restrictions on beds.

The same day, The state department of Health & Human Services, following federal initiatives, expanded access to telemedicine. In one case, the State Board of Medical Examiners agreed to accept thousands of physicians affiliated with one telemedicine provider, Teladoc.

Palmetto Promise is hopeful that the temporary freedoms born and enjoyed during the coronavirus pandemic will continue after the outbreak has passed.