SEC. 240.4. NON-RESIDENT PATIENTS; BILLING FOR, AND TRANSFERRING.

The Agency Director may cause a written notice to be sent to all responsible relatives of an applicant for admission, which notice shall inform them of their legal liability for the care of such applicant. Upon the request of the Agency Director the responsible relatives shall file within ten (10) days if living in the County, or within thirty (30) days if living elsewhere, under penalty of perjury a form supplying the information essential to the determination of the relatives' liability for support of an applicant or recipient of aid. The Agency Director may authorize and direct any County officers or employees personally to visit those responsible relatives living in the County and to collect from such relatives reimbursement for all care given by the County. Execution of liens may be required of responsible relatives as a condition of withholding legal action, except that no lien shall be taken against the home or other property of any relative, other than a parent of a minor or a spouse, liable for the support of a person receiving County aid or relief.

(Added by Ord. No. 8835 (N.S.), effective 11-6-97; amended by Ord. No. 9475 (N.S.), effective 7-18-02; amended by Ord. No. 9558 (N.S.), effective 6-20-03; amended by Ord. No. 10477 (N.S.), effective 5-25-17; amended by Ord. No. 10532 (N.S.), effective 5-24-18)

SEC. 240.2. AGENCY DIRECTOR OF THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY OR DIRECTOR OF REVENUE AND RECOVERY MAY DEFER BILLING OR COMPROMISE AND SETTLE AN ACCOUNT.

The Agency Director or designated representative, and the Director of Revenue and Recovery, or designated representative, are hereby authorized to defer billing, or compromise and settle an account when investigation reveals that neither the patient nor the patient's responsible relatives or representative can pay for or otherwise secure the care, or the means for paying for the care, which the patient requires. In making this determination the Agency Director or the Director of Revenue and Recovery will give consideration to:

1. In mental health cases, the State mandated “Uniform Method of Determining ability to Pay.”

2. In non-mental health cases:

(a) The nature of the patient's illness, the probable duration of disability, its effect on the patient's future income production and the probable cost of private care.

(b) The family assets and obligations, their accustomed standard of living and the amount of indebtedness which they can be expected to assimilate.

Further, the Agency Director or the Director of Revenue and Recovery may compromise and settle an account whenever the Agency Director and the County Counsel agree that actual or potential legal problems arising from the treatment of a case, or collection of an account, indicate such action to be to the best interest of the County.

SEC. 240.3. ACTIVATION OF DEFERRED ACCOUNTS.

A deferred account will be activated, entered in the books and presented for collection whenever information indicates that the patient and his responsible relatives are able to pay for the services rendered.

SEC. 240.4. NON-RESIDENT PATIENTS; BILLING FOR, AND TRANSFERRING.

Whenever a non-resident patient as defined by State law is admitted to an Agency facility, every effort will be made to determine his place of legal residence. No such patient will be found eligible for either a deferred bill or a compromise settlement until all means of securing payment from the authorities at his place of residence have been exhausted and all such patients who are granted deferred or compromise status will be removed from the Agency as soon as other facilities can be found and the patient's condition permits such removal. As to psychiatric patients referred for Mental Health Services, County residence as defined in Welfare and Institutions Code or Health and Safety Code, shall not be required, but state residence as defined in the Government Code is sufficient for the patient's eligibility, deferred billing, or postponement of removal to place of residence.

SEC. 241. ALL PATIENTS TO BE STAFF CASES.

The care and treatment of all patients admitted to any health care institution or program operated by the Agency shall be supervised and administered only by qualified professionals who are either employed by the Agency or regularly appointed and assigned as a member of the staff of a division of the Agency.

SEC. 242. [RESERVED.]

(Added by Ord. No. 8835 (N.S.), effective 11-6-97; amended by Ord. No. 9475 (N.S.), effective 7-18-02; amended by Ord. No. 9558 (N.S.), effective 6-20-03; repealed by Ord. No. 10477 (N.S.), effective 5-25-17)

SEC. 243. FEE FOR VENEREAL DISEASE SERVICES.

The Agency Director shall charge and collect a fee of $40 from each person receiving venereal disease services from the County. Services provided for said fee shall include the initial examination, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up for purposes of determining whether the disease has been cured.

Disclaimer: This Code of Ordinances and/or any other documents that appear on this site may not reflect the most current legislation adopted by the Municipality. American Legal Publishing provides these documents for informational purposes only. These documents should not be relied upon as the definitive authority for local legislation. Additionally, the formatting and pagination of the posted documents varies from the formatting and pagination of the official copy. The official printed copy of a Code of Ordinances should be consulted prior to any action being taken. For further information regarding the official version of any of this Code of Ordinances or other documents posted on this site, please contact the Municipality directly or contact American Legal Publishing toll-free at 800-445-5588.

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