CHAPTER 131
NEW CASTLE COUNTY RELIEF OF INDIGENT SICK
AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 43 OF THE REVISED CODE OF DELAWARE, 1935, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO RELIEF OF THE INDIGENT SICK RESIDENT IN NEW CASTLE COUNTY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:
Section 1. That Chapter 43 of the Revised Code of Delaware, 1935, as amended, be and the same hereby is further amended by repealing all of Section 22 thereof and enacting and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
1168. Sec. 22. Indigent Sick, Appropriation for Hospitals Caring for; to Keep Records; Reports of Hospitals; Duty of Comptroller; Limitation of Charges:--The Levy Court of New Castle County is authorized and required annually to appropriate for the relief of the indigent sick, resident in said County, the sum of ninety thousand dollars ($90,000.00), and in fixing the rate of taxation the said Levy Court shall annually provide for the said sum of ninety thousand dollars.
Any and all hospitals now or hereafter located within New Castle County and which are not principally dependent for their maintenance and operation upon State or Federal appropriation are authorized to accept, treat and care for any indigent sick resident in said County and to furnish them with proper medical or surgical care and attention, to be paid therefor in the manner hereinafter provided.
Every such hospital furnishing medical or surgical care and attention to any such indigent sick shall keep a record thereof in the manner and form prescribed by the Comptroller of New Castle County, showing the number of such indigent sick receiving medical or surgical care and attention, the name and residence of each of said persons, the date said person was admitted to said hospital and the date that said person was discharged therefrom together with an itemized list showing all expenses incurred by said hospital for medical or surgical care and attention furnished such persons.
Every such hospital which desires to be paid for medical or surgical care and attention for any such indigent sick by the Levy Court, shall on or before the fifteenth day of each month transmit to the Comptroller a duly verified copy of the record hereinabove provided for, for the preceding month, and the said Comptroller upon receipt thereof shall forthwith investigate the facts contained therein, and if he shall deem it proper or necessary in the making of said investigation, he shall have full power and authority to make an examination of the books, papers and accounts appertaining thereto of the hospital so furnishing the said verified copy, and if upon such investigation the said Comptroller. is satisfied that the facts contained in said verified copy are true and correct, he shall approve the payment by the Levy Court of the amount shown to be due by said verified copy to said hospital, otherwise, the Comptroller shall disapprove the same, and upon such approval or disapproval the Comptroller shall forthwith transmit the said verified copy with his approval or disapproval endorsed thereon to the Levy Court.
The Levy Court is authorized and required to pay to each of said hospitals the amounts shown to be due to it by such verified lists so furnished as shall be approved by the Comptroller at such rate per day as shall be determined by the Levy Court in its discretion for each person receiving such medical or surgical care and attention, out of any monies then in said special account for that purpose; provided that no money shall be paid to any of said hospitals for any months until the amount due to all the hospitals in said County for the preceding month has been fully determined and paid.
Approved April 3, 1947.