1. If a person wishing to make application for voluntary admission to a state mentalhealth institute is unable to pay the costs of hospitalization or those responsible for the person are unable to pay the costs, application for authorization of voluntary admission must be made through a regional administrator before application for admission is made to the state mental health institute. The person’s county of residence shall be determined through the regional administrator and if the admission is approved through the regional administrator, the person’s admission to a state mental health institute shall be authorized as a voluntary case. The authorization shall be issued on forms provided by the department. The costs of the hospitalization shall be paid by the county of residence through the regional administrator to the department and credited to the general fund of the state, provided that the state mental health institute rendering the services has certified to the county auditor of the county of residence and the regional administrator the amount chargeable to the mental health and disability services region and has sent a duplicate statement of the charges to the department. A mental health and disability services region shall not be billed for the cost of a patient unless the patient’s admission is authorized through the regional administrator. The state mental health institute and the regional administrator shall work together to locate appropriate alternative placements and services, and to educate patients and family members of patients regarding such alternatives.

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Terms Used In Iowa Code 229.42

  • Auditor: means the county auditor or the auditor's designee. See Iowa Code 229.1
  • Department: means the department of health and human services. See Iowa Code 249L.2
  • Department: means the department of health and human services. See Iowa Code 229.1
  • Mental health and disability services region: means a mental health and disability services region formed in accordance with section 225C. See Iowa Code 229.1
  • month: means a calendar month, and the word "year" and the abbreviation "A. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Patient: means a person who has been hospitalized or ordered hospitalized to receive treatment pursuant to section 229. See Iowa Code 229.1
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Region: means a mental health and disability services region formed in accordance with section 225C. See Iowa Code 229.1
  • Regional administrator: means the same as defined in section 225C. See Iowa Code 229.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2. All the provisions of chapter 230 shall apply to the voluntary patients to the extent applicable.
 3. The provisions of this section and of section 229.41 shall apply to all voluntary inpatients or outpatients receiving mental health services either away from or at the state mental health institute.
 4. If a county fails to pay the billed charges within forty-five days from the date the county auditor received the certification statement from the superintendent, the department shall charge the delinquent county the penalty of one percent per month on and after forty-five days from the date the county received the certification statement until paid. The penalties received shall be credited to the general fund of the state.