Sec. 13. (a) Whenever the superintendent receives an application for the admission of a patient from another county, the superintendent shall notify the person to appear at the hospital if the following conditions are met:

(1) It appears that the person has tuberculosis, or a similar disease.

(2) There is a vacancy in the hospital.

(3) There is no pending application from a patient residing in the county in which the hospital is located.

(b) If, upon personal examination of the patient by the medical staff of the hospital, the superintendent determines that the patient has tuberculosis, the superintendent shall admit the patient to the hospital. The patient is a charge against the executive of the county sending the patient, at a rate to be fixed by the board of managers but not to exceed the per capita cost of maintenance, including a reasonable allowance for interest on the cost of the hospital. The bill shall, when verified, be paid by the auditor of the county. The county executive of the contracting county shall investigate the circumstances of the patient and of the patient's relatives legally liable for the patient's support. The county executive has the same authority as a township trustee as administrator of township assistance in similar cases to collect, according to the patient's or the patient's relatives' financial ability, the cost of the maintenance.

[Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-11-6-12.]

As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.7. Amended by P.L.73-2005, SEC.168.