44:5-16. Annual appropriations for maintenance of charitable hospitals and for care and treatment of poor

A. Any county having a population less than 850,000 according to the latest federal decennial census may make annual appropriations not exceeding in the aggregate 1/10 of 1% of the total assessed valuations of real and personal property of the county, or a sum of money not in excess of the amount which might be raised at that rate, in the manner in which other appropriations for county purposes are made, for the maintenance of a charitable hospital or hospitals the facilities of which are used by the poor or indigent residents of the county, to an amount not exceeding the estimated annual deficit in operating expenses of the hospital, which sum, so appropriated, shall be included in the annual tax levy of the county and collected in the same manner and at the same time as other county taxes.

The amount so appropriated when paid over to a charitable hospital shall be used towards the current maintenance and expense of operation thereof. The appropriation may be made for a specifically named hospital or it may be made generally and in such case, the county governing body may, by ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, apportion the amount so appropriated to any such hospital in the manner which in their judgment may be deemed for the best interest of the county, but in no case shall a hospital receive more than the amount of its actual deficit in operating expenses.

The officials and auditors of the county shall have access at all reasonable times to the books and records of a hospital which shall receive the appropriation or part thereof, for the purpose of ascertaining the deficit in operating expenses and the application of the moneys so appropriated or apportioned and the financial needs or requirements of the hospital.

B. Any county having a population less than 850,000 according to the latest federal decennial census may make annual appropriations, for the medical care, treatment and maintenance of the poor and indigent residents of the county in any charitable hospital or hospitals in a sum not exceeding in the aggregate for all such hospitals, 1/10 of 1% of the total assessed valuations of real and personal property of the county, or a sum of money not in excess of the amount which might be raised at that rate in the manner in which other appropriations for the county are made, regardless of whether the hospital or hospitals to which such moneys are paid, shall have an annual deficit in operating expenses of such hospital, which appropriation shall be included in the annual tax levy of the county and collected in the same manner and at the same time as other county taxes.

No such hospital shall receive any payment pursuant to this subsection at a rate in excess of the average cost per patient in any county hospital operated by the county making the payment and provided further that no person shall be considered poor and indigent for the purpose of this subsection unless such status is established to the satisfaction of the governing body of such county.

C. Subsections A. and B. of this act are mutually exclusive and no hospital shall receive payment under both subsections.

Amended by L.1939, c. 230, p. 627, s. 1; L.1947, c. 336, p. 1087, s. 1; L.1957, c. 234, p. 787, s. 1; L.1961, c. 63, p. 558, s. 1, eff. June 3, 1961; L.1969, c. 188, s. 3, eff. Nov. 7, 1969; L.1971, c. 451, s. 1, eff. Feb. 29, 1972; L.1981, c. 462, s. 51.