Chap. 197.—An ACT to provide for the hospitalization and treatment of indigent
persons through joint action of the State and the counties and cities thereof.

[S B 21]
Approved March 23, 1946

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

Section 1. The State Board of Health is authorized and em-
powered to initiate and administer a program of hospital and outpatient
treatment and care for indigent and medically indigent persons residing
in the several counties and cities of the Commonwealth.

Section 2. The State Board of Health shall allocate quarterly to
the counties and cities of the Commonwealth on the basis of population
as shown by the last preceding United States census, such funds as may
be appropriated by the General Assembly for this purpose, the funds so
appropriated and allocated to be used by such counties and cities for
meeting one-half of the cost to such localities of hospitalization and
treatinent, including outpatient service at hospitals approved by the
Board of indigent persons residing therein. Any funds allocated to a
county or city which remain unused at the end of any six-month period
shall be subject to re-allocation to the localities by the Board.

Section 3. In the care and treatment of indigent persons as auth-
orized herein the counties and cities may select and use such hospitals
approved by the Board as are most suitable for the purpose, and, with
the approval of the Board, may contract with such hospitals as to the
minimum service to be rendered, the length of stay of patients, the cost
of services rendered, and other relevant matters.

Section 4. The eligibility of persons for hospitalization to be fur-
nished wholly or in part at public expense, shall be determined by the
governing bodies of the respective localities or such agency or agencies
or individuals as they may designate. No person shall be denied hospital-
ization solely on the ground that he is not otherwise eligible for public
relief.

Section 5. All payments to counties and cities out of funds ap-
propriated to the State Board of Health or other agency and duly al-
located for use by such localities shall be made by the Treasurer of Vir-
ginia on warrants of the Comptroller issued on vouchers duly executed
by the State Board of Health on satisfactory proof of the amounts ex-
pended by the respective localities for hospitalization and treatment of
indigent persons.

Persons already accepted for maintenance at public expense shall
be eligible without further investigation for the hospital care herein-
above provided.

Section 6. There is hereby appropriated from the general funds
of the State treasury the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,-
000) for the hospitalization and the outpatient care and treatment of
indigent persons in accordance with the provisions of this act.

Section 7. The governing boards of the University of Virginia
and the Medical College of Virginia are authorized and directed to
establish a credit of at least one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,-
000) from the amounts appropriated to each of the hospital divisions
of these institutions for the maintenance and operation, including the
free treatment, care, and maintenance of Virginia patients in favor of the
State Board of Health, to be allocated by the State Board of Health
along with funds provided from general funds and to be matched by
counties and cities, as herein provided, for hospital and outpatient ser-
vices at the hospital divisions of the University of Virginia and at the
hospital division of the Medical College of Virginia at per diem rates
to be established by contract between the State Board of Health and
these institutions; provided, however, that any funds derived from the
appropriation to the hospital divisions of the two institutions and allo-
cated by the State Board of Health not so matched by the counties and
cities of Virginia may otherwise be expended by the hospital divisions of
the University of Virginia and the Medical College of Virginia.