State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > New-jersey > Title-44 > Section-44-5 > 44-5-16

44:5-16.  Annual appropriations for maintenance of charitable hospitals and  for care and treatment of poor    A.  Any county having a population less than 850,000 according to the latest  federal decennial census may make annual appropriations not exceeding in the  aggregate   1/10   of 1% of the total assessed valuations of real and personal  property of the county, or a sum of money not in excess of the amount which  might be raised at that rate, in the manner in which other appropriations for  county purposes are made, for the maintenance of a charitable hospital or  hospitals the facilities of which are used by the poor or indigent residents of  the county, to an amount not exceeding the estimated annual deficit in  operating expenses of the hospital, which sum, so appropriated, shall be  included in the annual tax levy of the county and collected in the same manner  and at the same time as other county taxes.

    The amount so appropriated when paid over to a charitable hospital shall be  used towards the current maintenance and expense of operation thereof. The appropriation may be made for a specifically named hospital or it may be made generally and in such case, the county governing body may, by ordinance or resolution, as appropriate, apportion the amount so appropriated to any such hospital in the manner which in their judgment may be deemed for the best interest of the county, but in no case shall a hospital receive more than the amount of its actual deficit in operating expenses.

    The officials and auditors of the county shall have access at all reasonable  times to the books and records of a hospital which shall receive the  appropriation or part thereof, for the purpose of ascertaining the deficit in  operating expenses and the application of the moneys so appropriated or  apportioned and the financial needs or requirements of the hospital.

    B.  Any county having a population less than 850,000 according to the latest  federal decennial census may make annual appropriations, for the medical care,  treatment and maintenance of the poor and indigent residents of the county in  any charitable hospital or hospitals in a sum not exceeding in the aggregate  for all such hospitals,   1/10   of 1% of the total assessed valuations of real  and personal property of the county, or a sum of money not in excess of the  amount which might be raised at that rate in the manner in which other  appropriations for the county are made, regardless of whether the hospital or  hospitals to which such moneys are paid, shall have an annual deficit in  operating expenses of such hospital, which appropriation shall be included in  the annual tax levy of the county and collected in the same manner and at the  same time as other county taxes.

    No such hospital shall receive any payment pursuant to this subsection at a  rate in excess of the average cost per patient in any county hospital operated  by the county making the payment and provided further that no person shall be  considered poor and indigent for the purpose of this subsection unless such  status is established to the satisfaction of the governing body of such  county.

    C.  Subsections A. and B. of this act are mutually exclusive and no hospital  shall receive payment under both subsections.

     Amended by L.1939, c. 230, p. 627, s. 1;  L.1947, c. 336, p. 1087, s. 1; L.1957, c. 234, p. 787, s. 1;  L.1961, c. 63, p. 558, s. 1, eff. June 3, 1961; L.1969, c. 188, s. 3, eff. Nov. 7, 1969;  L.1971, c. 451, s. 1, eff. Feb. 29, 1972;  L.1981, c. 462, s. 51.