A state appellate Court ruled Thursday upheld an August decision from state Supreme Court to reimburse the county for Medicaid expenses.

According to the eight-page decision, the state Department of Health is obligated to pay for some medical services of mentally disabled patients. The state should have never been charging the county for these services and must reimburse the money, the ruling says.

The number in question is about $26,000.

The court cited the Human Service Overburden Law of 1982 that required the state to take on the expense of paying for mentally disabled patients to relief counties who were paying more than they could handle.

Attorneys for the county and state did not return phone calls Friday seeking comment.

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