1. 1. The state of Missouri shall pay twenty-five dollars per day each for the support of all patients admitted to the hospital and maintained therein and who have been designated by the board of tuberculosis hospital commissioners as subjects of charity, but no payment shall be made by the state for such patients for whom the hospital receives a reasonable reimbursement of the costs of care and maintenance from private or federal sources. All costs for the maintenance of charity patients in excess of twenty-five dollars per day shall be paid by the county from its current revenue, upon orders or vouchers rendered to the county commission by the hospital board.
2. 2. All patients of the hospital who are not subjects of charity shall pay such sum for their support and maintenance as they are able to pay as determined by the judgment of the board, and the state of Missouri shall pay such additional amount as may be necessary to compensate the board for their support and maintenance, but not to exceed the sum of twenty-five dollars per day per patient.
3. 3. The general assembly shall at each annual session make an appropriation out of the general revenue fund of the state sufficient in amount to meet its obligations to any county hospital as herein designated.
4. 4. The chairman and secretary of the board of tuberculosis hospital commissioners shall make report to the treasurer of the board once per month, giving the names and number of patients in such hospital and indicating which patients are subjects of charity and the amount necessary for the state to pay. The treasurer of the board shall issue a voucher to the commissioner of administration giving this information, and a warrant shall be issued on the state treasurer for the amount shown by the statement. The state treasurer shall pay the warrant to the treasurer of the board of tuberculosis hospital commissioners. The county commission in any county in which such a hospital shall be established shall authorize and issue the warrant of the county payable out of the current revenue of the county, in favor of the treasurer of the board, for payment of the costs of all charity patients kept and treated herein, in excess of twenty-five dollars per day as herein provided, upon a like voucher presented to the commission by the treasurer of the tuberculosis hospital.
5. 5. Every such hospital shall, so long as the state pays not less than twenty-five dollars per day per patient for the support of charity patients therein, receive patients from any county in this state, in which case every such county shall pay to the hospital the difference between the sum of twenty-five dollars per day per patient and the cost of the care and support of the patient in the hospital; such cost shall not exceed the per capita cost for the year next preceding, for the care and support of patients in the rehabilitation center at Mt. Vernon. This shall supersede any municipal ordinance giving preference to residents of the respective cities in which the same are located.
6. 6. The state shall pay eight dollars per week each for the follow-up examination and treatment, including drugs of charity patients released on an outpatient basis.

(RSMo 1939 § 15178, A. 1949 S.B. 1061, A.L. 1951 p. 752, A.L. 1955 p. 673, A.L. 1965 p. 349, A.L. 1967 1st Ex. Sess. p. 898, A.L. 1975 H.B. 32)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 13962; 1919 § 12597