Maine Revised Statutes Title 22. Health and Welfare § 46. Charitable and benevolent institutions to submit itemized bills; recipients not considered paupers

No part of any appropriations made by the State for the care, treatment, support or education of any person by any charitable or benevolent organization not wholly owned or controlled by the State may be paid until duly itemized bills showing the name of the person receiving the service, the date on which the service was rendered and the rate charged therefor per day or week have been filed with the State Controller together with a certificate from the department that satisfactory evidence has been filed in its office by the organization furnishing the service that the persons receiving the service were in need of such services, that they were not able to pay for the same and that the rates charged are not greater than those charged to the general public for the same service. The only exceptions to the above specific procedures are those instances in which the charitable or benevolent organization by agreement with the department elects to return its state appropriation, either in whole or in part, to the department for matching with federal funds.

In all instances, payments made by the State to charitable and benevolent organizations under this section are governed by such rules and rates as are prescribed by the department. A person may not be considered to be a pauper because the person received the benefit of any funds, either state or municipal, that were expended on behalf of the person under this section.