Texas Health and Safety Code 552.019 – Filing of Claims
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(a) A county or district attorney shall, on the written request of the department, represent the state in filing a claim in probate court or a petition in a court of competent jurisdiction to require the person responsible for a patient to appear in court and show cause why the state should not have judgment against the person for the costs of the patient’s support, maintenance, and treatment.
Terms Used In Texas Health and Safety Code 552.019
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Probate: Proving a will
- sworn: includes affirm or affirmed. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(b) On a sufficient showing, the court may enter judgment against the person responsible for the patient for the costs of the patient’s support, maintenance, and treatment.
(c) Sufficient evidence to authorize the court to enter judgment is a verified account, sworn to by the superintendent of the hospital in which the patient is being treated, or has been treated, as to the amount due.
(d) The judgment may be enforced as in other cases.
(e) The county or district attorney representing the state is entitled to a commission of 10 percent of the amount collected.
(f) The attorney general shall represent the state if the county and district attorney refuse or are unable to act on the department’s request.
(g) In this section, “person responsible for a patient” means the guardian of a patient, a person liable for the support of the patient, or both.