Section 388-855-0015. Definitions.

"Adjusted charges" are those [charges levied upon] [amounts charged to] a patient who is or has been confined to a state hospital for the mentally ill, either by voluntary or involuntary admission, and their estates and responsible relatives, which are less than the actual cost of hospitalization as reflected in the schedule of charges herein and which has been established by the issuance of a notice of finding of responsibility.

"Adjusted gross income" is that gross income of the estate of the patient and responsible relatives less any deductions, contributions or payments mandated by law including, but not necessarily limited to, income tax and social security.

"Dependent" means any spouse, minor son or daughter, or permanently disabled son or daughter, of the patient living in the patient's household. If the patient is a minor, then the same definitions shall apply in determining the dependency of members of the parent's household. If a minor son or daughter is not living in the patient's household, that son or daughter shall not be considered a dependent unless the patient is in fact contributing more than fifty percent of that child's support in accordance with a court order or court-recognized agreement.

"Department" means the department of social and health services.

"Determination officer" is that duly appointed and qualified claims investigator who is delegated authority by the secretary to conduct or cause to have conducted an investigation of the financial condition of the estate of the patient and responsible relatives; to evaluate the results of such investigations; to make determinations of the ability to pay hospitalization changes from such investigations and evaluations; and to issue notices of findings of responsibility to the responsible parties.

"Estate of patient and responsible relative" means the total assets available to the patient and his responsible relatives to reimburse the department for hospitalization charges incurred by the patient in a state hospital for the mentally ill in accordance with these regulations.

"Gross income" means the total assets available to the estate of the patient and responsible relatives expressed in terms of their cash equivalent on a monthly basis. The total assets available to the estate of the patient and responsible relatives are converted to a monthly cash equivalent figure by dividing those assets by twelve months. Gross income includes all of the following calculated prior to any mandatory deductions; gross wages for service; net earnings from self-employment; and all other assets divided by twelve months.

"Responsible relative" includes the spouse of a patient, or the parent of a patient who is under eighteen years of age.

"Secretary" means the secretary of the department of social and health services.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20B.335, 43.20B.325, 72.01.090. WSR 01-01-007, amended and recodified as § 388-855-0015, filed 12/6/00, effective 1/6/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 81.02.412 [71.02.412]. WSR 81-08-020 (Order 1627), § 275-16-015, filed 3/25/81.]

Reviser's note: RCW 34.05.395 requires the use of underlining and deletion marks to indicate amendments to existing rules, and deems ineffectual changes not filed by the agency in this manner. The bracketed material in the above section does not appear to conform to the statutory requirement.

RCW 43.20B.335, 43.20B.325, 72.01.090. WSR 01-01-007, amended and recodified as § 388-855-0015, filed 12/6/00, effective 1/6/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 81.02.412 [71.02.412]. WSR 81-08-020 (Order 1627), § 275-16-015, filed 3/25/81.