EXPENDITURES Total Utica Willard Hudson Middletown Buffalo Binghamton Financial statement, year ending September 30, 1914 Disbursements for maintenance Financial statement, year ending September 30, 1914 Disbursements for maintenance (concluded) Grand total. $524,335 74 $421,125 87 $261,044 79 $50,517 58 $994,762 77 $216,928 70 $1,041,919 54 $991,338 83 57 59 3.00 959 39 12,833 27 107 25 11 50 18,808.59 308 90 REPORT OF COLLECTIONS ATTORNEY ALBANY, September 30, 1914. To the State Hospital Commission: I herewith submit my report as collection attorney for the State Hospital Commission for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1914: The duties of the collection attorney consist of the enforcement of claims for the care of private and reimbursing patients whose relatives or committees become delinquent in the payment of their accounts; the general supervision of special agents detailed to investigate the financial circumstances of patients and their relatives; and upon their reports directing State hospitals to place the names of patients on the paying list in all appropriate cases; examining the annual accounts of committees filed in the State hospitals to determine if maintenance is being paid where there are sufficient funds in the hands of the committee that may be used for that purpose. In all cases of dereliction on the part of the committee, the hospital receiyes direction to place the patient's name on the reimbursing list. This department also cooperates with the Attorney-General in the appointment of committees for patients in the State hospitals, i. e., the necessary information for the appointment of committees is secured by the collection attorney and transmitted to the Attorney-General, and upon the appointment of committies, arrangements are made by the collection attorney for the payment of maintenance. As shown by the annual reports of the Commission, the plan of having such committees appointed by the Attorney-General is found financially advantageous. It has been found of great advantage in the collection of accounts to visit the State hospitals to confer with the stewards and bookkeepers who frequently have special knowledge as to the financial circumstances of patients and their relatives. Preliminary information of this character is also of great assistance to the special agents in the investigation of cases submitted to them. Whenever maintenance accounts are in arrears, the collection attorney is notified and as collections are made he reports them to the hospitals. The assistance rendered by the hospital officials has always been of value and their cheerful co-operation has greatly facilitated the collection of accounts. When the collection attorney is notified of the service of legal papers on patients, he makes an investigation to ascertain if the patients have any rights that should be protected. In the case of the service of a citation in the matter of probating a will where it is found that the patient receives a bequest or the decedent was legally liable for the patient's care and no maintenance is being paid, a claim is filed with the executors. A considerable amount is thus collected. The collection department has been unable to investigate as many cases this year as usual. The appropriation for special agents became exhausted early in the year and no funds were available to pay their salaries and expenses, necessitating a temporary suspension of their work, resulting, it is feared, in a considerable financial loss to the State. The appropriation made by the United States Government for the care of the alien insane became exhausted January 1, 1914, and no funds were available for this purpose. No maintenance has been paid for the deported alien insane since the above date. This also entails a loss to the State hospitals in about the sum of $9,000. The financial depression has been felt by this department. In several cases where maintenance had been paid for the care of the insane, the relatives on account of lack of employment and business depression, found it impossible to continue payment. In other cases it was found necessary to reduce the rate previously paid for the patient's care. This department succeeded in increasing the annual collections for the care and maintenance of reimbursing patients by about $8,000, but this increase was offset by a falling off in collections for the care of private patients, due to the fact that the State hospitals are overcrowded and it is impossible to receive patients who are financially able to pay the rate charged in private institutions. The patients who are now classed as private are leaving the hospitals and none are accepted in their stead. Respectfully submitted, (Signed) WM. G. DARGAN, Collection Attorney. REPORT OF INSPECTOR OF SUPPLIES December 18, 1914. State Hospital Commission, Albany, N. Y.: Dear Sirs. I beg to enclose herewith my report on the various State hospitals, showing rejections made from October 1, 1913, to September 30, 1914. The approximate value of goods rejected is as follows: I trust the same will meet with your approval. |