Section 31-8-2. Definitions

   As used in this article, the term:

   (0.5) "Department" means the Department of Community Health.

   (1) "Indigent person" means any resident who is ill or injured and who from his own resources or from the resources of those upon whom he is legally dependent is financially unable to meet the full cost of hospital care as prescribed or ordered by a physician. An allegedly indigent person shall not be considered an "indigent person" for the purposes of this article until and unless he shall be certified as an "indigent person" by the governing authority of his county of residence. If the governing authority shall fail or refuse to certify a person as an "indigent person" within five days after the next regular or special meeting of the governing authority receiving notice as to such person's being admitted to a participating hospital, neither the county nor the hospital shall be responsible for any medical costs incurred by such person, but the person himself shall be responsible for all such costs.

   (2) "Participating county" means a county whose governing authority, by appropriate action, has agreed to participate in the program, is current with regard to its pro rata share of funds necessary for hospital care for its indigent persons, and is in compliance with this article.

   (3) "Participating hospital" means a publicly or privately owned hospital which holds a valid permit issued pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 7 of this title, which has a physician as chief of staff, and whose governing authority has elected to participate in the program in accordance with this article.

   (4) "Physician" means a doctor of medicine duly licensed to practice medicine in this state in accordance with Chapter 34 of Title 43.

   (5) "Program" means the Hospital Care for the Indigent Program.

   (6) "Resident" means a person who receives health care from a hospital in the county in which he resides and who is in this state for other than temporary or transitory purposes and has lived continuously in the state for a period of not less than six months.

Ga. L. 1957, p. 470, § 2; Code 1933, § 88-2302, enacted by Ga. L. 1964, p. 499, § 1; Ga. L. 1970, p. 649, § 1; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 22; Ga. L. 2011, p. 705, § 4-8/HB 214.