Sec. 501.063. INMATE FEE FOR HEALTH CARE. (a) (1) An inmate confined in a facility operated by or under contract with the department, other than a halfway house, who initiates a visit to a health care provider shall pay a health care services fee to the department in the amount of $100.
(2) The fee imposed under Subdivision (1) covers all visits to a health care provider that the inmate initiates until the first anniversary of the imposition of the fee.
(3) The inmate shall pay the fee out of the inmate's trust fund. If the balance in the fund is insufficient to cover the fee, 50 percent of each deposit to the fund shall be applied toward the balance owed until the total amount owed is paid.
(b) The department shall adopt policies to ensure that before any deductions are made from an inmate's trust fund under this section, the inmate is informed that the health care services fee will be deducted from the inmate's trust fund as required by Subsection (a).
(c) The department may not deny an inmate access to health care as a result of the inmate's failure or inability to pay a fee under this section.
(d) The department shall deposit money received under this section in an account in the general revenue fund that may be used only to pay the cost of correctional health care. At the beginning of each fiscal year, the comptroller shall transfer any surplus from the preceding fiscal year to the state treasury to the credit of the general revenue fund.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 257, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1998. Renumbered from Sec. 501.061 by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 19.01(45), eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Amended by:
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4 (S.B. 1), Sec. 65.02, eff. September 28, 2011.
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