§ 2-7.1. Same—Inmate medical and dental services reimbursement.

(a)

For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

Commissary account shall mean any account under the control of the correctional facility from which an inmate may withdraw funds.

Inmate shall mean any person confined to a parish correctional facility but shall not include inmates sentenced to the department of public safety and corrections who are in the custody of the sheriff.

Sheriff shall mean the administrator of the correctional facility.

(b)

In compliance with and under the authority of LSA R.S. 15:705, the sheriff of any correctional facility of the Parish of Webster shall withdraw from an inmate's commissary account reimbursement for such inmate's medical, psychiatric or dental expenses at the time the expenses are incurred or as soon thereafter as the inmate's commissary account has sufficient assets for reimbursement for medical, psychiatric and dental expenses, and shall reimburse such funds to the Webster Parish Police Jury.

(c)

Except as provided for in subsection (d) below, reimbursements for medical, psychiatric and dental expenses shall be made prior to any other withdrawal from an inmate's commissary account.

(d)

This section shall not prohibit the withdrawal of funds for the purpose of payments under the Crime Victims Reparations Act, court costs authorized by law, and other withdrawals specifically authorized by the sheriff, in that order.

(e)

The parish sheriff shall establish written rules for the collection of medical, psychiatric and dental expenses and for freezing assets in an inmate's commissary account and prohibiting withdrawals therefrom until the expenses are paid. The commissary account may be frozen regardless of the source of the assets contained herein.

(f)

The medical, psychiatric and dental reimbursement shall be conditioned upon the following:

(1)

The initial medical evaluation upon entry into the correctional facility shall be made at no charge to the inmate;

(2)

Inmates shall be informed of the reimbursement requirement at the time a request for medical, psychiatric or dental services is made; and

(3)

No inmate shall be refused medical, psychiatric or dental treatment for lack of funds.

(g)

The amount of reimbursement shall be according to the following schedule:

(1)

Ten dollars ($10.00) per sick call visit for medical services;

(2)

Fifteen dollars ($15.00) per sick call for psychiatric or dental services;

(3)

Five dollars ($5.00) per prescription.

(h)

Any inmate who is discharged or transferred to another facility shall remain liable for any reimbursement authorized by this section.

(i)

If at any time an inmate's commissary account does not have sufficient funds to reimburse the costs of medical, psychiatric or dental services, the account shall carry a negative balance until such time as funds are deposited into that account. When funds become available, the medical, psychiatric and dental reimbursement shall be immediately deducted from the account.

(j)

If an inmate is discharged with a negative balance in the commissary account due to unpaid medical or dental reimbursement and that inmate is subsequently returned to any Webster Parish correctional facility, the unpaid balance shall immediately be collected from the new commissary account established upon entry to the correctional facility in accordance with the provisions outlined in this section.

(k)

Any inmate who is covered by a private medical, psychiatric, dental or health care insurer or any public medical, psychiatric or dental assistance program, shall file a claim for the payment or reimbursement of any medical, psychiatric or dental services provided while an inmate in any Webster Parish correctional facility.

(l)

Reimbursement will also be made for over-the-counter drugs.

(Ord. No. 895, §§ 1—11, 7-11-95; Amend. of 12-4-2001)

Editor's note

Ord. No. 895, §§ 1—11, adopted July 11, 1995, did not specific manner of codification; hence, such provisions, which pertained to inmate reimbursement for medical and dental services, has been designated as § 2-7.1 by the editor.