Garnishment for Debts Owed Public Hospitals.
§ 131E‑48. Definitions.
As used in this Article, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
(1) "Disposable earnings" means that part of the compensation paid or payable for personal services, including wages, salary, commission, bonus, payments to a pension or retirement program, and other similar payments that remain after the deduction of any amounts required by law to be withheld.
(2) "Family" means a parent or parents and minor children or spouses that reside together.
(3) "Family income of the debtor" means family income as set out in the annual federal poverty guidelines issued by the United States Department of Health and Human Services in effect at the time of the hearing, less the amount of the costs of the family's reasonable ongoing medical needs.
(4) "Garnishee" means an employer liable for compensation for personal services rendered or to be rendered by a person who is indebted to a public hospital for hospital services.
(5) "Hospital services" means services rendered only by the public hospital. Hospital services shall include professional charges of any physician or medical student, but only if the physician or student is an employee of the public hospital.
(6) "Public hospital" means any hospital facility operated on a nonprofit basis, any hospital that is owned or operated by the State, or any hospital as defined in G.S. 159‑39(a). (1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 880, s. 1.)