Hospital Charity Care (Dollar For)

What this program is, in plain English

Every nonprofit hospital in the United States has to keep a financial assistance policy and tell patients about it. That is federal tax law, not a favor. It is often called charity care. Depending on your income and the hospital's own criteria, it can reduce a hospital bill or write it off entirely, sometimes including bills that already went to collections. Most people never hear about it. Dollar For is a nonprofit that checks your hospital's policy against your income, fills the paperwork out with you, and pushes the hospital when it stalls. It costs nothing and they do not take a cut of what they save you.

What you actually get

Partial or complete elimination of a hospital bill, including bills already sent to collections. Debt already paid can sometimes be refunded.

Who qualifies

• Income limit: Not yet verified — call to confirm
• Some hospitals count assets; many do not.
• Policies vary by hospital. Full write-off is common at or below 200% of the federal poverty level and partial relief is common up to 400%. Some systems go higher.

What to have ready

• The hospital bill or account number
• Proof of income
• Tax return if you have one
• Photo identification

How to apply

This program is run by Individual nonprofit hospitals, with free application help from Dollar For. Most decisions take Hospitals commonly take 30 to 60 days to decide.