Delaware General Assembly


CHAPTER 409

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 31, DELAWARE CODE, ENTITLED WELFARE, BY DEFINING "MEDICAL CARE" AND BY REMOVING THE RESTRICTIONS ON OLD AGE ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS WITH RESPECT TO MEDICAL CARE, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR MEDICAL CARE.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:

Section 1. Section 502, Title 31, Delaware Code, is amended by inserting between the definition of "Assistance" and the definition of "Board" a new definition to read:

"Medical Care" means payment of part or all of the cost of certain health services and supplies for individuals who are recipients of old age assistance. Such services and supplies may include the following, to the extent and under the conditions prescribed by the Department: inpatient hospital services, skilled nursing-home services, physicians' services, chiropractic services, outpatient hospital or clinic services, home health care services, private duty nursing services, physical therapy and related services, dental services, optometric services, laboratory and X-ray services, prescribed drugs, eyeglasses, dentures, and prosthetic devices, diagnostic, screening and preventive services. Any such payments shall be made directly to the supplier of such services or supplies, or through the purchase of insurance to provide such payments, provided that such payments made to persons and medical or nursing institutions shall be made only to persons and institutions which meet standards, established by the State Board of Health, that promote safe and adequate treatment of individuals in the interest of public health and safety.

Section 2. Section 503 (c), Title 31, Delaware Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof a new sentence to read:

The limitations on the amount of old age assistance may be exceeded however, by the amount of any payments for medical care as defined in Section 502, of this Chapter.

Section 3. There is hereby appropriated to the Department of Public Welfare for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1963, the sum of $190,000 to provide, with respect to recipients of old age assistance, payments to suppliers of medical care as defined in Section 502, Title 31, Delaware Code.

Section 4. The Department of Public Welfare is empowered to expend from this appropriation for the purpose: of administration of medical care for recipients of old age assistance a sum not to exceed 7% of the amount hereby appropriated.

Section 5. This Act is a supplementary appropriation and the moneys appropriated herein shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of moneys of the General Fund of the State of Delaware not otherwise appropriated.

Approved June 8, 1962.