1. 1. If the department finds from the physician’s information or from the information of a physician assistant who meets the qualifications set forth in the definition of a mental health professional in section 228.1 which was filed under the provisions of section 225.12 that it would be appropriate for the person to be admitted to the state psychiatric hospital, and the department finds that the person and those who are legally responsible for the person are not able to pay the expenses incurred at the hospital, or are able to pay only a part of the expenses, the person shall be considered to be a voluntary public patient and shall be sent to the state psychiatric hospital for observation, treatment, and hospital care.
2. 2. When the patient arrives at the hospital, the patient shall be cared for in the same manner as is provided for committed public patients in section 225.15.

2024 amendment to subsection 1 effective July 1, 2025; 2024 Acts, ch 1161, §137 Subsection 1 amended

[C24, 27, 31, 35, §3970; C39, §3482.16; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §225.16] 2006 Acts, ch 1059, §5; 2015 Acts, ch 69, §25; 2022 Acts, ch 1066, §27; 2024 Acts, ch 1161, §60, 137