32.1-11 - Environmental health, laboratory, and medical care services.
§ 32.1-11. Environmental health, laboratory, and medical care services.
A. The Board may formulate a program of environmental health services,laboratory services and preventive, curative and restorative medical careservices, including home and clinic health services described in Titles V,XVIII and XIX of the United States Social Security Act and amendmentsthereto, to be provided by the Department on a regional, district or localbasis.
B. The Board shall define the income limitations within which a person shallbe deemed to be medically indigent. Persons so deemed to be medicallyindigent shall receive the medical care services of the Department withoutcharge. The Board may also prescribe the charges to be paid for the medicalcare services of the Department by persons who are not deemed to be medicallyindigent and may, in its discretion and within the limitations of availablefunds, prescribe a scale of such charges based upon ability to pay. Fundsreceived in payment of such charges are hereby appropriated to the Board forthe purpose of carrying out the provisions of this title.
C. When the Department provides medical care services to a person who hasprivate health insurance that covers the services provided, the Board shallauthorize the Department to charge an amount equal to the allowable charge ofsuch insurer for the services provided. If the insurer denies a claim formedical care services provided to such person, the patient portion of thebill shall not be greater than if the person did not have private healthinsurance.
D. The Board shall review periodically the program and charges adoptedpursuant to this section.
(Code 1950, § 32-8.1; 1966, c. 529; 1970, c. 439; 1979, c. 711; 2008, cc. 42,81.)