The department supports the following principles:
  (1) Persons are charged for services based on their ability to pay.
  (2) Procedures for determining ability to pay are fair, equitable, and consistently implemented.
  (3) Paying for services in accordance with his/her ability to pay reinforces the role of the person as a customer.
  (4) Earned revenues are optimized.
  (5) The department is the payer of last resort.

Source Note: The provisions of this §412.104 adopted to be effective September 1, 2002, 27 TexReg 2041; amended to be effective September 15, 2005, 30 TexReg 5806