(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.