Medical bills and hospital debt
A hospital bill you cannot afford is often not a bill you have to pay in full, because nonprofit hospitals are required by federal tax law to have a written financial assistance policy and to tell patients about it. Charity care can erase a bill even after it has gone to collections, and separate copay foundations help with drug costs. Asking is free and does not affect your care.
Written and checked by Jason Burns, Editorial Steward · Checked August 25, 2026
Charity care is a legal obligation, not a favor
About half of American hospitals are nonprofit. To keep their tax-exempt status, section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code requires them to publish a written financial assistance policy, to say plainly who qualifies, and to make reasonable efforts to tell you about it before sending your bill to collections. That is a legal duty on the hospital. You are not asking for a favor when you request a financial assistance application.
Ask even after the bill is old
Most hospital policies let you apply for at least 240 days after the first bill, and many will consider an application after that, including bills already sent to a collection agency. Approvals can range from a discount to a full write-off, and some hospitals refund money you already paid.
Help asking
Dollar For is a national nonprofit that checks your hospital's policy against your household size and income and files the application with you, at no charge.
Drug copays are a different track
If the problem is what you pay for a specific medicine, charitable copay foundations may cover it for a named condition, as long as their fund for that condition is open. Funds open and close during the year, so check again if you are turned away today.
Questions people ask
Do I have to pay a hospital bill I cannot afford?
Not necessarily — a nonprofit hospital is required by federal tax law to have a written financial assistance policy, and if your income falls within it the hospital must discount or erase the bill, so the first step is always to ask for the financial assistance application rather than to pay or ignore the bill.
What is hospital charity care and how do I ask for it?
Hospital charity care is the written financial assistance policy that section 501(r) of the federal tax code requires every nonprofit hospital to maintain, and you ask for it by calling the billing office and requesting the financial assistance application in writing. The hospital must give you that policy and a plain-language summary of who qualifies; whether your bill is reduced or written off entirely is decided by the hospital's own income criteria.
What is Dollar For?
Dollar For is a national nonprofit that helps people get hospital bills reduced or erased by checking their hospital's charity care policy against their household size and income and then filing the financial assistance application with them, at no cost to the patient.
Where can I get free or low-cost dental care as a senior?
Original Medicare does not cover routine dental care, so the practical places for older adults are a community health center that charges on a sliding scale by income, a dental school clinic, and Dental Lifeline Network, which provides free comprehensive treatment to people 65 and older who qualify.
Can a foundation help pay my copays?
Yes — several charitable foundations pay drug copays, insurance premiums and travel costs for people with specific diagnoses, including the Patient Advocate Foundation TotalAssist program, the HealthWell Foundation and Good Days, as long as that foundation's fund for your condition is open when you apply.
Programs covered in this guide
- Patient Advocate Foundation TotalAssistGrants that pay the copays, deductibles, and travel costs that come with a serious diagnosis.
- HealthWell Foundation Copay AssistancePays prescription copays and insurance premiums for people with a specific diagnosis.
- Good Days Copay and Travel AssistanceCopay help and paid travel to treatment for people with a chronic or life-altering illness.
- Hospital Charity Care (Dollar For)Nonprofit hospitals are required by law to wipe out bills for people who cannot pay. Dollar For helps you apply, free.
Sources
- Financial assistance policy requirements under section 501(r)(4) · Internal Revenue Service
- Dollar For hospital financial assistance help · Dollar For
Every program on this site is free to apply for. Anyone who asks you to pay to apply, or to “unlock” a government benefit, is a scam — hang up and call Senior Medicare Patrol or 211.
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Checked August 25, 2026. Licensed under the Citation License 1.0. © 2026 Adolicious LLC.