282                               Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 234

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1961.

Approved March 28, 1961.

CHAPTER 234
(House Bill 15)

AN ACT to repeal Section 600 of Article 43 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Health", sub-title "Chronic
Hospitals and Infirmaries", and to repeal and re-enact, with amend-
ments, Sections 599, 601 and 602 of said Article and sub-title,
revising the provisions for the investigation of the financial con-
dition of the patient and of the patient's family for patients in
the several chronic hospitals in this State, relating to the collec-
tion of such fees and charges from the patient and his family,
repealing a duplicating provision concerning the cost of per diem
care and relating generally to ADMISSIONS TO AND TO the
charges and collections for patients in the several chronic hospitals.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Section 600 of Article 43 of the Annotated Code of Maryland
(1957 Edition), title "Health", sub-title "Chronic Hospitals and
Infirmaries", be repealed, and that Sections 599, 601 and 602 of said
Article and sub-title, be repealed and re-enacted, with amendments,
to read as follows:

599.

ADMISSION TO THE CHRONIC HOSPITALS SHALL BE
MADE ON THE BASIS OF A STATEMENT BY A PHYSICIAN
WHO, AFTER AN EXAMINATION, FINDS THAT THE PATIENT
IS IN NEED OF CHRONIC HOSPITAL CARE, AND THE RE-
VIEW AND APPROVAL OF THE APPLICATION BY THE
CHRONIC HOSPITAL. NO PATIENT SHALL BE ADMITTED
WHO HAS TUBERCULOSIS IN A FORM REQUIRING TREAT-
MENT IN A TUBERCULOSIS HOSPITAL, MENTAL DISEASE
OF THE TYPE REQUIRING CARE IN A MENTAL HOSPITAL,
OR AN ORTHOPEDIC DISEASE FOR WHICH MEDICAL TREAT-
MENT IS AVAILABLE TO THE PATIENT IN A SPECIAL
ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL.

PATIENTS MAY BE ADMITTED WHO CAN PAY PART OR
ALL OF THE COSTS OF THEIR CARE ONLY WHEN THE
SPECIAL FACILITIES REQUIRED BY THEIR CONDITIONS
ARE NOT OTHERWISE OBTAINABLE ELSEWHERE IN
MARYLAND.

Explanation: Italics indicate new matter added to existing law.

[Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law.
CAPITALS indicate amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken out of bill.