Hospital Financial Assistance

Ask the hospital's billing office or financial counselor for its financial assistance policy, application and plain-language summary. Nonprofit hospitals must make these available, and most post them on their websites. The policy explains who qualifies, usually based on household income and size, and how much help is offered. Some hospitals forgive the full balance for patients under a certain income, while others use a sliding scale of discounts. Read which services are covered, since bills from outside doctors working in the hospital may fall under different rules. Each hospital sets its own policy, so read it for every facility where you receive care.

Many insured patients assume charity care is not for them, but policies often cover what insurance leaves behind, such as deductibles and coinsurance. Gather recent pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, benefit letters and a list of everyone in your household. Submit the application as soon as bills start arriving, and ideally before any account is sent to collections. Some hospitals can apply assistance to older bills within a set window. Keep copies of everything you send and note the date. If you are asked for more information, respond quickly so the application does not stall or get closed.

If your application is denied, ask for the reason in writing and whether you can appeal or add information, such as new medical bills or a drop in income. If collection notices arrive while your application is pending, call the billing office and ask them to pause collection activity. Nonprofit hospitals generally must make reasonable efforts to determine eligibility before taking certain collection actions. Patient advocates, legal aid groups and some nonprofits can help if you believe a hospital did not follow its policy. For any balance that remains, ask for an interest-free payment plan based on what you can realistically afford.

1. 1

   Request the financial assistance policy and application from each hospital where you receive care.

2. 2

   Collect pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements and household information before completing the application.

3. 3

   Ask billing offices to pause collections while your assistance application is being reviewed.

4. 4

   Request written reasons for any denial and ask how to appeal or submit more information.