NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1963 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 599

SENATE BILL 8

 

 

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PROGRAM OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE AGED AND OTHER GROUPS IN NORTH CAROLINA.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1. Article 3 of Chapter 108 of the General Statutes entitled, "Division of Public Assistance," is hereby amended by adding a new part therein to be numbered Part 4B and to read as follows: "Part 4B. Medical Assistance for the Aged.

"G. S. 108-73.21. State Fund for Medical Assistance for the Aged Created. For the purpose of providing medical assistance for the aged, over and beyond the medical assistance provided by Part 4 and Part 4A of this Article, and for the administration of an effective medical assistance program for the aged in North Carolina, the State Board of Public Welfare is hereby authorized and empowered to establish from Federal, State and County appropriations available for the purpose, a fund to be known as the State Fund for Medical Assistance for the Aged, and to adopt rules and regulations under which payments are to be made out of said fund in accordance with the provisions of this part. The non-Federal share shall be equally divided between the State and the counties, except as provided in G. S. 108-73, as amended. Annually, at the time other taxes are levied in each of the several counties of the State, there shall be levied and imposed a tax sufficient to cover the county's share and full authority is hereby given to the boards of county commissioners of the several counties to levy, impose and collect the taxes required for the special purpose of medical assistance for the aged as provided in this part.

"G. S. 108-73.22. Payments. From the fund established herein, the State Board of Public Welfare may, within appropriations made for this specific purpose, pay or cause to be paid all or part of the cost of medical services for any person sixty-five years of age and over, when it is essential to the health and welfare of such aged person that medical services be provided, and when the total resources of such person are not sufficient to provide the necessary medical services.

"G. S. 108-73.23. Acceptance of Federal Grants. All of the provisions of the Federal Social Security Act, as amended, providing grants to the states for hospitalization, medical assistance and other remedial care for needy aged persons, are hereby accepted and adopted, and the State Board of Public Welfare is hereby authorized and empowered to accept grants under the provisions of said Act which are most beneficial to the State for providing medical assistance for aged persons as defined in said Federal Social Security Act. Nothing in this Act or the regulations made pursuant hereto shall be construed to deprive a recipient of assistance of the right to choose the provider of the care or service made available under this Act within the provisions of the Federal Social Security Law."

Sec. 2. G. S. 108-73 is hereby amended by striking out the word "and" at the beginning of line four thereof, and by adding after the comma following the word "children" and before the word "such" in line four thereof the following: "and under G. S. 108-73.21, relating to medical assistance for the aged,".

Sec. 3. Part 4 of Article 3 of Chapter 108 of the General Statutes entitled "Hospitalization of Assistance Recipients", is hereby amended as follows: (1) G. S. 108-73.13 is hereby amended by adding immediately after the word "care" and immediately preceding the word "for" appearing in line nine of said Section the words ", including in-patient and out-patient services, and for the purpose of providing necessary drugs".

(2)        G. S. 108-73.14 is hereby amended by adding immediately after the word "hospitalization" and immediately preceding the word "the" appearing in line nine of said Section the words ", including in-patient and out-patient services, and cost of drugs,". G. S. 108-73.14 is further amended by adding after the word "hospitalization" and immediately preceding the word "of" in line ten the words "and drug needs".

(3)        G. S. 108-73.15 is hereby amended by adding immediately after the word "hospitalization" and immediately preceding the word "paid" appearing in line three of said Section the words ", including in-patient and outpatient services, and the costs of necessary drugs".

(4)        G. S. 108-73.17 is hereby amended by adding immediately after the word "hospitalization" and immediately preceding the word "shall" appear ing in line one of said Section the words ", including in-patient and outpatient services, and for the cost of drugs". G. S. 108-73.17 is further amended by adding after the words "of another state," and immediately preceding the word "on" in line six the words "and to pharmacies,".

(5)        G. S. 108-73.18 is hereby amended by adding immediately after the word "recipients" and immediately preceding the word "and" appearing in line three of said Section the words ", and for other types of medical care,".

Sec. 4. Part 4A of Article 3 of Chapter 108 of the General Statutes entitled "Hospitalization for the Medically Indigent", as the same appears in the 1961 Cumulative Supplement to Volume 3A of the General Statutes, is hereby amended as follows: (1) G. S. 108-73.19 is hereby amended by adding immediately after the word "payments" at the end of line three of said Section the words ", covering in-patient and out-patient services,". G. S. 108-73.19 is further amended by adding a new sentence, following the first sentence of the Section, to read as follows: "The State Board of Public Welfare is further authorized and empowered to pay for drugs for eligible medically indigent persons who do not qualify for money payments." G. S. 108-73.19 is further amended by adding after the word "hospitalized" and immediately preceding the word "and" in the second line of the second paragraph the words "or entitled to drugs". G. S. 108-73.19 is further amended by adding after the word "hospitals" and immediately preceding the word "shall" in the third line of the second paragraph the words "and pharmacies."

Sec. 5. All laws and clauses of laws in conflict with this Act are hereby repealed.

Sec. 6. This Act shall be effective upon its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 29th day of May, 1963.