SECTION 17. Liability for cost of treatment; rules and regulations

Any patient in a public facility, or the estate, spouse or adult child of such patient, or, if the patient is a minor, the parent of such patient if of sufficient financial ability, shall be liable to such facility for the cost of maintenance and treatment of the patient therein in accordance with rates established pursuant to chapter six A. If a person is a patient in a private facility pursuant to an agreement between the facility and the division, and neither the patient nor the estate, spouse or adult child of such patient, or, if the patient is a minor, the parent of such patient is of sufficient financial ability to pay the cost of maintenance and treatment of the patient therein, and the patient is not entitled to the payment of such cost from any other source, the division shall pay the cost of such maintenance and treatment in accordance with rates established pursuant to chapter six A.

The division shall promulgate rules and regulations governing financial ability which shall take into consideration the income, savings and other personal and real property of the person required to pay, as well as any support actually being furnished by him to any person whom he may be required by law to support.