Sec. 17a-679. (Formerly Sec. 19a-2g). Expenses for necessary transportation of alcohol-dependent persons for admission to a treatment facility.
Sec. 17a-679. (Formerly Sec. 19a-2g). Expenses for necessary transportation
of alcohol-dependent persons for admission to a treatment facility. (a) The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services may, within available appropriations,
pay the expenses of necessary transportation for any alcohol-dependent person admitted
to a treatment facility pursuant to the provisions of section 17a-682 or 17a-684 or to
any program funded by the department pursuant to section 17a-675, provided such program has given prior approval to the transportation provider and so certifies to the department, or for any person intoxicated by alcohol transported to a hospital for treatment,
which expenses are certified by such hospital to the department, unless the Department
of Administrative Services determines after investigation that such person is able to
pay. The department may pay such expense pending the investigation provided if the
department determines that the person is able to pay, the transportation provider shall
reimburse the department. The department shall not pay expenses for the transport of
any person who is able to pay, has private insurance, or is receiving Title XIX Medicaid
benefits that cover the transportation services provided.
(b) The Office of Emergency Medical Services within the Department of Public
Health shall be responsible for developing and implementing dispatch and field triage
protocols to provide a mechanism for local response systems to utilize the least costly
most appropriate form of transport for alcohol-dependent persons. Such dispatch and
field protocols shall be developed on or before January 1, 1995.
(c) The department may adopt regulations, in accordance with provisions of chapter
54, concerning the payment of transportation expenses under this section.
(P.A. 93-381, S. 35, 39; P.A. 94-239, S. 2; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-5, S. 15, 30; P.A. 95-257, S. 5, 58; P.A. 99-234, S.
4, 14; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2, S. 23, 72.)
History: P.A. 93-381 effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-239 and May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-5 both divided section in Subsecs.,
added provisions in Subsec. (a) requiring prior approval to the transportation provider and certification to the department
and prohibiting payment by the department of any expenses for persons who are able to pay for the services, have insurance
coverage or coverage under assistance programs, and added new Subsec. (b) making Office of Emergency Medical Services
responsible for developing and implementing dispatch and field triage protocols to provide a mechanism for local response
systems; May Sp. Sess. act further imposed January 1, 1995, deadline for development of protocols, effective July 1, 1994;
P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and
Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, effective July 1, 1995; Sec. 19a-2g transferred to Sec. 17a-679 in
1997; P.A. 99-234 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing reference to general assistance with reference to Medicaid benefits
and amended Subsec. (b) by adding "within the Department of Mental Health" after "Office of Emergency Medical
Services"; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 99-2 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing "shall pay" with "may, within available appropriations, pay", effective July 1, 1999.