All persons admitted or committed to the Hassler Hospital, Laguna Honda Hospital, or San Francisco General Hospital of the City and County of San Francisco, or who receive prehospital emergency medical services from the San Francisco Fire Department, except under provisions of Subsections (10) to (14) inclusive and (17) of Section 115 hereof, or persons who are recipients of public assistance, shall be investigated by the Director of Public Health or the San Francisco Fire Department for those who receive prehospital emergency medical services, who shall determine the financial ability of such persons to pay, in whole or in part, either directly or through relatives legally obligated to pay in whole or in part for the institutional or prehospital emergency medical service rendered.
The spouse and every relative who may be legally obligated to support an applicant or recipient of indigent aid shall furnish, within 10 days of request by the Director of Public Health and/or the San Francisco Fire Department on forms provided by the Department, information necessary to the determination of the liability of said spouse and relative, or either of them to support said applicant or recipient of aid.
Provided, however, that whenever any person admitted to the Hassler Hospital or Laguna Honda Hospital receives a total monthly income in an amount less than the actual cost of his care and from which income no personal allowance is made as a condition or term thereof, the Director of Public Health shall permit such person to retain from his said total income each month a reasonable amount to be used for his personal and incidental needs. If the source of monthly income is aid to needy disabled or old age aid or blind aid, as provided in the Welfare and Institutions Code, the amount to be retained for personal and incidental needs shall be the same as allowed by the regulations of the State of California Social Welfare Department for such personal and incidental needs.
Any person admitted to any institution who shall own a life insurance policy or policies having an actual cash surrender value of $500 or more may be required by said Director of Public Health to assign by proper written instruments said policy or policies to the City and County of San Francisco.
No provisions of this code shall constitute a waiver of the right of the City and County of San Francisco to recover the full cost of care from any person or persons able to pay therefor or from the estates of such person, where such ability is subsequently shown.
(Added by Ord. 75-66, App. 4/11/66; amended by Ord. 106-03, File No. 030624, App. 5/23/2003)