(1) The agency, pursuant to s. 154.3105, shall adopt rules for certification determination procedures which provide criteria to be used for determining a qualified indigent’s county of residence. Such criteria must include, at a minimum, how and to what extent residency shall be verified and how a hospital shall be notified of a patient’s certification or the inability to certify a patient.
(2) In all instances, the county known or thought to be the county of residence shall be given first opportunity to certify a resident. If the county known or thought to be the county of residence fails to, or is unable to, make such determination within 60 days following written notification by a hospital, the agency shall determine residency utilizing the same criteria required by rule as the county, and the agency’s determination of residency shall be binding on the county of residence. The county determined as the residence of any qualified indigent shall be liable to reimburse the treating hospital pursuant to s. 154.306. If, for any reason, a county or the agency is unable to determine an indigent’s residency, the hospital shall be notified in writing of such reason or reasons.
