Advocate Health income limits
| Household size | Free care: yearly income up to 300% | Discounts: yearly income up to 400% |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $47,880 | $63,840 |
| 2 people | $64,920 | $86,560 |
| 3 people | $81,960 | $109,280 |
| 4 people | $99,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 people | $116,040 | $154,720 |
| 6 people | $133,080 | $177,440 |
- Free care
- Up to 300% of the federal poverty guidelines: about $99,000 a year for a family of four in 2026.The policy says: “Uninsured patients meeting all the above criteria with a household income between 0% and 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) are eligible for 100% financial assistance.” (page 4)
- Discounts
- Up to 400% of the guidelines: about $132,000 a year for a family of four.The policy says: “uninsured patients meeting all the above criteria with a household income between 301% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) are eligible for a 75% financial assistance discount” (page 4 (Atrium Health))
- Sliding scale
- Atrium Health (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama): uninsured patients at 301% to 400% may get 75% off gross charges. Insured patients may get help only up to 300%.
- With insurance
- Patients with insurance in a listed state may get 100% off the self-pay balance at incomes up to 300% of the guidelines, if care was in network (emergency visits excepted) and they cooperated with their insurer. Without insurance, discounts reach higher incomes. (Policy, pages 4 and 6.)
- Large bills
- The plain language summary says a patient who owes at least 10% of household income after insurance and other payments may be eligible for a discount; the amount is not stated.
How to apply for Advocate Health financial assistance
- Without a full application
- Some patients may be approved without a full application.
- Time to apply
- 240 days after the first bill sent after care.The policy says: “Patients have 240 days from the first post-discharge bill date to apply for financial assistance.” (page 9)
- How to apply
- Atrium Health: apply online through the application link on its financial assistance page, or download the form and mail it. Illinois and Wisconsin: download the application from the hospital’s site and mail it, or ask customer service to send one; uninsured patients may be asked to meet a financial counselor and to apply for Medicaid or other coverage they likely qualify for.
- Differences by state
- The policy covers residents of Illinois, Wisconsin, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, and uninsured patients in the Michigan footprint near bordering Advocate Health facilities. Illinois uninsured patients may get a discount up to 600% under Illinois law, the policy lists no discount above 300% for Wisconsin, and North Carolina residents are also referred to a separate Atrium Health NC Medical Debt Mitigation Policy that was not read.
- Also good to know
- Insured patients may get help only for in-network care, except in the emergency department.
Common questions about Advocate Health financial assistance
What is the income limit for Advocate Health financial assistance?
Advocate Health’s policy lists free care up to 300% of the federal poverty guidelines and discounts up to 400%. With the 2026 guidelines for the 48 states and Washington, DC, that is for free care, a yearly income up to about $47,880 for one person and $99,000 for a family of four; for discounts, a yearly income up to about $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four. The policy has differences by state or hospital, so check it for your hospital. Advocate Health decides from its own application; only the hospital can confirm what you may get.
How do I apply for Advocate Health financial assistance?
Atrium Health: apply online through the application link on its financial assistance page, or download the form and mail it. Illinois and Wisconsin: download the application from the hospital’s site and mail it, or ask customer service to send one; uninsured patients may be asked to meet a financial counselor and to apply for Medicaid or other coverage they likely qualify for. Time to apply: 240 days after the first bill sent after care.
Source
Advocate Health Financial Assistance Policy, Effective 1/1/2025, revised 7/8/2026. Read with AI reading tools on November 1, 2026, and checked by a second one against the same document. There is also a plain language summary.
We are not part of Advocate Health. Policies change, and the hospital decides from its own form. If what you read here differs from the current policy, the policy counts.
Ask in writing
The free financial assistance letter asks the hospital for its policy, the application and the plain language summary. Already paid? How applying after you have already paid works. Compare other systems on the hospital list.
Have insurance? See what 38 policies say about patients with insurance.
In Alabama? Find your hospital by name or town (95 Alabama hospitals).
In Georgia? Find your hospital by name or town (141 Georgia hospitals).
In Illinois? Find your hospital by name or town (188 Illinois hospitals).
In Michigan? Find your hospital by name or town (144 Michigan hospitals).
In North Carolina? Find your hospital by name or town (112 North Carolina hospitals).
In South Carolina? Find your hospital by name or town (63 South Carolina hospitals).
In Wisconsin? Find your hospital by name or town (137 Wisconsin hospitals).
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Check the bill itself
Financial assistance may lower what you owe, but it does not look at the charges. Open your bill in MedBillCheckup: it is read on your device, never uploaded, and the free check shows how many things are worth asking the billing office about, and names the first. The full list, with the exact questions to ask, is $6.99 for one bill, or included with Pro at $9.99 a month.
Check my bill, freeMedBillCheckup provides informational assistance only. It does not determine whether a charge is medically necessary, fraudulent, illegal, or definitively incorrect, and it is not a substitute for advice from a lawyer, doctor, insurer, or certified medical billing specialist.