§ 40-6-3.2. Form of assistance. (a) General public assistance shall be provided in the form of:

(1) Financial assistance payable by check;

(2) Beginning on July 1, 1992, each hospital licensed under chapter 17 of title 23, other than state-operated hospitals, shall provide free services and charity care for reasonable and necessary inpatient and outpatient hospital services as the department by regulation requires to serve all persons seeking such services from such hospital who are determined to be eligible for general public assistance. The latter shall be treated as free service and charitable care. Each hospital shall, in addition, continue to provide free services and charitable care to other persons in accordance with each hospital's charter and mission statement and with §§ 23-17-19.1(13) and 23-17-26. Eligibility for general public assistance shall be determined by the department of human services. Each hospital required under this section to provide services to individuals eligible for general public assistance shall, upon request of the auditor general of the state, provide the auditor general with such information as he or she shall request regarding the services provided. The auditor general shall make annual reports to the finance committees of the Rhode Island house and senate on general public assistance hospital care. The obligations of hospitals under this section shall terminate when vendor payments for hospitals have been restored;

(3) Vendor payment of medical assistance as the department by regulation determines for only the following reasonable and necessary medical services;

(4) Outpatient physician services and a limited formulary of prescription drugs to be established by the department, when such services and drugs are provided in, or approved by, an authorized health center, or by such other providers and at such locations as may from time to time be designated by the department. No payment shall be made for medical expenses incurred prior to the date the individual makes written application for assistance.

(b) The department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to detect and prevent program abuse by recipients and providers of assistance.

History of Section. (P.L. 1987, ch. 118, art. 13, § 2; P.L. 1991, ch. 6, art. 11, § 1; P.L. 1991, ch. 44, art. 23, § 3; P.L. 1992, ch. 133, art. 46, § 1; P.L. 1993, ch. 138, art. 25, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 70, art. 18, § 1.)