§ 347.16 — Treatment in county hospital — terms

Iowa § 347.16

• Jurisdiction: Iowa
• Title IX: LOCAL GOVERNMENT
• Ch. 347: COUNTY HOSPITALS

Text

1. Any resident of a county in this state who is sick or injured shall be entitled to care
and treatment in any public hospital established and maintained by that county under this
chapter, so long as that person observes the rules of conduct prescribed by the board of
hospital trustees. Each patient admitted under this subsection, or the person legally liable
for that patient’s support, shall pay to the board of hospital trustees reasonable compensation
for that patient’s care and treatment according to the rules established by the board, unless
subsection 2 is applicable.
2. Free care and treatment shall be furnished in a county public hospital to any sick or
injured person who fulfills the residency requirements under section 47.4, subsection 1,
paragraph “d”, Code 1993, in the county maintaining the hospital, and who is indigent. The
board of hospital trustees shall determine whether a person is indigent and entitled to free
care under this subsection, or may delegate that determination to the general assistance
director or the office of the department of health and human services in that county, subject
to guidelines the board may adopt in conformity with applicable statutes.
3. Care and treatment may be furnished in a county public hospital to any sick or injured
person who has residence outside the county which maintains the hospital, subject to
such policies and rules as the board of hospital trustees may adopt. If care and treatment
is provided under this subsection to a person who is indigent, the person’s county of
residence, as defined in section 331.190, shall pay to the board of hospital trustees the fair
and reasonable cost of the care and treatment provided by the county public hospital unless
the cost of the indigent person’s care and treatment is otherwise provided for. If care and
treatment is provided to an indigent person under this subsection, the county public hospital
furnishing the care and treatment shall immediately notify, by regular mail, the auditor of
the county of residence of the indigent person of the provision of care and treatment to the
indigent person including care and treatment provided through the behavioral health service
system established in section 225A.3.

Legislative History

[S13, §409-k; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §5362; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §347.16]