Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1953 NO. 99 >

1. When an inmate of a city or county jail becomes ill or is injured and requires medical attention, being unable to pay for the services and not a recipient of public assistance, the city or county, i.e., the confining authority, is responsible for furnishing the medical services required. 2. When a ward in a juvenile detention homes becomes ill or is injured and the juvenile's parents are not financially able to provide the medical care and the juvenile is not a recipient of public assistance, the juvenile detention home shall provide the necessary medical services. 3. In the absence of a city ordinance or county resolution requiring the city or county to do so, cities or counties are not bound to arrange emergency medical care for those without funds, but not recipients of public assistance, but may very properly do so, and if either does so the cost is to be borne by either the city or county actually arranging or contracting the emergency medical service.