The Oklahoma Veterans Commission is hereby authorized to make collections from eligible patients and members for care and maintenance. Payments shall be established in the following manner:

1. All sources of personal income, except wages of a working spouse, except as provided in this section, shall be considered when computing care and maintenance charges, including pensions and awards for aid and attendance from the Veterans Administration;

2. Care and maintenance charges shall be computed in a manner to maximize the Veterans Administration pension and compensation benefits to which the veteran is entitled and shall allow a veteran to retain not less than One Hundred Fifty Dollars ($150.00) per month of total monthly income;

3. The care and maintenance charge shall not exceed the full cost of care minus the Veterans Administration per diem payment;

4. Spouses, widows and widowers of eligible war veterans are authorized to be admitted and maintained in the Oklahoma veterans centers. The facilities admitting and maintaining spouses, widows and widowers shall make collections from the spouses, widows and widowers first and to the fullest extent from sources of income other than pension and compensation paid by the Veterans Administration; and

5. The claim of the state for such care and maintenance shall constitute a valid indebtedness against any such patient or member and the patient's estate and shall not be barred by any statute of limitations except as otherwise allowed by the Oklahoma Indigent Health Care Act. At the death of the patient or member, this claim shall be allowed and paid as other lawful claims against the estate. Provided, no admission of a veteran of a period of war, as referenced in 38 U.S.C., Section 1521 or detention of a patient in an Oklahoma veterans center shall be limited or conditioned in any manner by the lack of ability to pay of a patient or member, the patient's estate, or any relative of the patient or member. Any monies collected by the provisions of this section shall be deposited in the Department of Veterans Affairs Revolving Fund.

Added by Laws 1961, p. 704, § 5, emerg. eff. July 31, 1961. Amended by Laws 1981, c. 169, § 4, emerg. eff. May 13, 1981; Laws 1984, c. 249, § 5, operative July 1, 1984; Laws 1987, c. 206, § 80, operative July 1, 1987; Laws 1987, c. 236, § 38, emerg. eff. July 20, 1987; Laws 1992, c. 204, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1992; Laws 2014, c. 212, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2014; Laws 2017, c. 152, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2017.