# Who pays for involuntary psychiatric holds? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 4, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996 "2009-04-04T21:11:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/1 "2009-04-04T21:11:12Z")
Who pays for involuntary psychiatric hold (aka 5150, Baker Act, sectioning, etc)? Let’s say Bob is placed on a 72 hour old; does the bill go to his health insurance? What if he has no insurance; does he need to pay out of his own pocket? Does the hospital get reimbursed by the state or just write it off? Does it matter if after observation the staff determine he didn’t warrant involuntary commitment? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/2 "2009-04-05T03:39:42Z")
Generally the patient pays for all medical treatment, even if they did not consent to it. (Say, for example, you are in a auto accident and are lying unconscious when the medics arrive. They send you off the the hospital, and you (or your insurance) gets the bill for that.) Psychiatric treatment (voluntary or involuntary) is medical treatment, and so is normally billed to the patient. There is an exception in some stated for legally ordered commitment to psychiatric, chemical abuse, or similar programs. If a judge commits you, the state pays for it. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/3 "2009-04-05T05:29:15Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > There is an exception in some stated for legally ordered commitment to psychiatric, chemical abuse, or similar programs. If a judge commits you, the state pays for it. Would an involuntary _physician_ (or psychiatrist)-ordered commitment fall in that category? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/4 "2009-04-05T07:33:25Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Would an involuntary _physician_ (or psychiatrist)-ordered commitment fall in that category? Not here in Minnesota. Only a formal commitment hearing held in Court in front of a Judge counts. Does a _physician_ have legal authority to order someone committed involuntary? I thought that took judicial action. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/5 "2009-04-05T21:50:16Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Not here in Minnesota. Only a formal commitment hearing held in Court in front of a Judge counts. > > Does a _physician_ have legal authority to order someone committed involuntary? I thought that took judicial action. Here in Cali at least, shrinks, ER docs, and maybe certain other MDs can throw you in for a 72-hour observation. I think that’s what a [5150](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5150_(Involuntary_psychiatric_hold)) is. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/6 "2009-04-06T04:27:17Z")
My neighbor worked at a State Mental Hospital in Illinois and she said they bill everyone voluntary or not. She said, the homeless or whatever are then put in a special category and the hospital can apply for aid for them and they get a social worker to fill out forms for them so the hospital can collect. The people that have insurance have to submit the hospital bill to their insurance. If that won’t pay it’s handled like any other payment dispute. Sometimes the hospital takes less as payment, sometimes they put it on your credit report as a bad debt ---
**Author:** ![Jormungandr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/7 "2009-04-06T10:58:20Z")
In California, if you’re admitted by a doctor, there’s a small fee around $50-60, which is paid by your insurance if you have one. You can claim indigance. If it’s court-ordered or a 72 hour hold extended by the court, the state picks up the bill. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/8 "2009-04-06T19:11:11Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Generally the patient pays for all medical treatment, even if they did not consent to it. (Say, for example, you are in a auto accident and are lying unconscious when the medics arrive. They send you off the the hospital, and you (or your insurance) gets the bill for that.) > > Psychiatric treatment (voluntary or involuntary) is medical treatment, and so is normally billed to the patient. > > There is an exception in some stated for legally ordered commitment to psychiatric, chemical abuse, or similar programs. If a judge commits you, the state pays for it. It is pretty reasonable to assume that a person unconscious from a traffic accident would want medical treatment. For these 72 hour involuntary deals, they have been getting out of hand in Florida lately. Some young idiot kid tells his girlfriend that he wouldn’t want to live if she left him, and she calls the cops and he goes to the booby hatch for an extended weekend. And then he gets the bill?!? I can’t see how that would hold up. Well, on second thought I can. Domestic relations laws keep getting crazier and crazier.. ---
**Author:** ![hiredpen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@hiredpen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hiredpen)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/9 "2011-12-05T23:28:22Z")
Has anyone received any good answers or done any successful research? ---
**Author:** ![hiredpen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b4bc9f/32.png) [@hiredpen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hiredpen)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/10 "2011-12-05T23:31:51Z")
I’m wondering if there’s a way to get the state or someone to pick up the bill in WI ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/11 "2011-12-06T00:34:55Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > My neighbor worked at a State Mental Hospital in Illinois and she said they bill everyone voluntary or not. She said, the homeless or whatever are then put in a special category and the hospital can apply for aid for them and they get a social worker to fill out forms for them so the hospital can collect. > > The people that have insurance have to submit the hospital bill to their insurance. If that won’t pay it’s handled like any other payment dispute. Sometimes the hospital takes less as payment, sometimes they put it on your credit report as a bad debt As a health insurance company employee in Minnesota I can confirm this. ---
**Author:** ![YianniP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b487fb/32.png) [@YianniP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YianniP)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/12 "2016-12-25T16:31:34Z")
I was baker acted for 20 hours back in July 2016. I just received a bill from the hospital in the amount of $5.504.92. I am indigent. Do I have to pay the hospital? I do not have the money. Any thoughts or help would be appreciated. Thank you, YianniP ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/13 "2016-12-26T02:11:03Z")
> [@YianniP](#): > > I was baker acted for 20 hours back in July 2016. I just received a bill from the hospital in the amount of $5.504.92. I am indigent. Do I have to pay the hospital? I do not have the money. Any thoughts or help would be appreciated. > Thank you, > YianniP Talk to the hospital’s financial services department. They can help you work out a payment plan or tell you how to apply for assistance to help you pay it. ---
**Author:** ![YianniP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b487fb/32.png) [@YianniP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YianniP)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2016, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-pays-for-involuntary-psychiatric-holds/491996/14 "2016-12-26T13:43:24Z")
Thank you for your reply. I believe there is a section in the Baker Act for INDIGENT patients and people bellow the Federal poverty level. Do I still have to pay if I am an indigent? Thank you, YianniP