44:5-2. Annual appropriation in municipalities to maintain indigent patients and assist health care facilities
Any municipality which has no health care facility therein maintained by such municipality may make an appropriation in each year of an amount which, in the judgment of the governing body, shall be adequate for the purposes hereinafter stated. Such appropriation shall be made in the manner in which appropriations for other municipal purposes are made and such sum so appropriated shall be included in the annual tax levy of the municipality and collected in the same manner and at the same time as other municipal taxes. The sum shall be applied to the purpose of paying the cost of supporting and maintaining such indigent patients as may be sent by order of any municipal physician, director of welfare or other proper authority of the municipality to any health care facility or health care facilities supported by private charity and located in the municipality or any other municipality in this State, and shall also be applied to the purpose of defraying the cost incurred by any such health care facility in providing health care facility care to any indigent person residing in such municipality in cases where the furnishing of such care shall be approved by the proper authorities of such municipality, although such person may not have been sent to the health care facility by order of any municipal physician, director of welfare or any other proper authority thereof. The sum so appropriated may also be applied to the purpose of assisting in the support of any such health care facility or health care facilities.
The money so raised shall not be used for any other purpose whatever and the municipality may by ordinance regulate
(a) The mode of sending such person to such health care facility or health care facilities and of approving of the furnishing of care therein;
(b) The mode and terms of paying for the care and maintenance of such persons so sent to such health care facility or health care facilities or so approved; and
(c) The manner of making payment for the maintenance of such health care facility or health care facilities.
Amended by L.1948, c. 53, p. 139, s. 1; L.1949, c. 227, p. 715, s. 1; L.1950, c. 291, p. 987, s. 1, eff. July 3, 1950; L.1981, c. 145, s. 3, eff. May 14, 1981.