---
title: O.C.G.A. § 37-9-4. Liability of patient for cost of care; time of payment; inability of department to collect assessment from patient or failure of patient’s assessment to cover cost of care.
collection: code
id: 37-9-4
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 37-9-4 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-9-4
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-9-4.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-9-4/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t37-t39-(v28)-2021-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=c6b9c518_0#page=348
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-9.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-9-3.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/37-9-5.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: MENTAL HEALTH / PAYMENT OF EXPENSES FOR SUPPORT, TREATMENT, AND CARE OF PATIENTS IN STATE INSTITUTIONS GENERALLY
---

# O.C.G.A. § 37-9-4. Liability of patient for cost of care; time of payment; inability of department to collect assessment from patient or failure of patient’s assessment to cover cost of care.

Each patient receiving services from a state hospital shall be legally responsible for, and shall pay to the department, the cost of his care received from a state hospital. Payments for cost of care shall be payable following the receipt of services in accordance with standards and procedures established by the board. In the event the department is unable to collect the assessment from the patient or in the event the patient’s assessment is less than the full cost of care for such patient, all other persons liable for the cost of care for such patient shall pay to the department their respective assessments as provided by Code Section 37-9-5.

## History

Ga. L. 1960, p. 1138, §§ 4, 5; Ga. L. 1966, p. 143, §§ 3, 4; Ga. L. 1979, p. 834, § 5; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 37.

## Law Reviews

For comment advocating legislative determination of parental liability for costs of institutional custody of child involuntarily committed to a mental health facility in response to criminal behavior in light of Treglown v. Department of Health & Social Servs., 38 Wis. 2d 317, 156 N.W.2d 363 (1968), see 19 Mercer L. Rev. 457 (1968).