AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — About a dozen patients a year in Texas are billed by state hospitals for psychiatric care they were ordered to undergo by courts.
The Austin American-Statesman reports (http://bit.ly/Pk1eEq ) that most patients aren't able to pay when they're ordered into state mental facilities — either because they have been found not guilty of a crime by reason of insanity or being held until their condition stabilizes enough for them to be tried.
The state has collected about $4 million over the last three years in private fees.
Insurers have paid for care in some cases, while patients have paid for others out of pocket.
The state has billed one defendant charged with aggravated assault for almost $100,000. Carolyn Barnes has been placed in a state hospital for more than 16 months.
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Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com
