Sec. 20. (a) Any resident of the county in which the hospital is located who desires treatment in the hospital may apply in person to the superintendent or to a physician for examination. If the physician finds that the person has tuberculosis in any form, the physician may apply to the superintendent of the hospital for the person’s admission. The superintendent shall forward application forms without charge to any physician in the county, upon request. If practicable, application for admission to the hospital shall be made upon the forms. Upon receipt of the application, if it appears that the patient has tuberculosis and if there is a vacancy in the hospital, the superintendent shall notify the person to appear at the hospital. The superintendent shall admit a person to the hospital if, after an examination, the superintendent is satisfied that the person has tuberculosis.

     (b) All applications must meet the following conditions:

(1) State whether, in the judgment of the physician, the person is able to pay in whole or in part for the person’s care and treatment.

(2) Be filed and recorded in a book kept for that purpose in the order of receipt.

     (c) When the hospital is completed and ready for the treatment of patients, or whenever there are vacancies, admission shall be made in the order in which the names of applicants who are certified by the superintendent to have tuberculosis appear in the application book.

     (d) A patient shall not be discriminated against because the patient or the patient’s relatives contribute to the cost of the patient’s maintenance, in whole or in part. A patient may not pay more for the patient’s maintenance than the average per capita cost of maintenance, including a reasonable allowance for the interest on the cost of the hospital. An officer or employee of the hospital may not accept from any patient any fee, payment, or gratuity for services.

[Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-11-1-6.]

As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.7.