Houston Methodist income limits
| Household size | Free care: yearly income up to 200% | Discounts: yearly income up to 500% |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $31,920 | $79,800 |
| 2 people | $43,280 | $108,200 |
| 3 people | $54,640 | $136,600 |
| 4 people | $66,000 | $165,000 |
| 5 people | $77,360 | $193,400 |
| 6 people | $88,720 | $221,800 |
- Free care
- Up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines: about $66,000 a year for a family of four in 2026.The policy says: “Patients whose family income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are eligible to receive free services” (page p.7)
- Discounts
- Up to 500% of the guidelines: about $165,000 a year for a family of four.The policy says: “patients whose family income is above 200% but not more than 500% of the FPL are eligible to receive services at a discounted amount.” (page p.7)
- Sliding scale
- Up to 200%: 100% off. 201% to 500%: billed the lesser of 5% of gross annual family income or a percentage of amounts generally billed. Above 500% with a balance over 10% of income: billed the lesser of 10% of income or a percentage of the balance.
- With insurance
- Underinsured patients may get help on the same income scale as everyone: free care up to 200% of the guidelines, discounts above it, and above 500% only when the balance passes 10% of income. (Policy, pages 2, 5 and 7.)
- Large bills
- Above 500% of the poverty level, help is considered when the account balance is greater than 10% of family income.
How to apply for Houston Methodist financial assistance
- Without a full application
- Some patients may be approved without a full application.
- Time to apply
- A determination may be done at any time.The policy says: “However, the determination may be done at any time.” (page p.5)
- How to apply
- Get the application from a financial counselor, the Houston Methodist website or by mail, fill it in with proof of income, and return it by mail, fax or to a patient access team member. The policy says Houston Methodist writes back within 30 days of receiving it.
- Also good to know
- The posted policy is dated 2020 with a 2023 target review, so check that it is still current. Physician groups and many outside doctors bill separately and are not covered.
Common questions about Houston Methodist financial assistance
What is the income limit for Houston Methodist financial assistance?
Houston Methodist’s policy lists free care up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines and discounts up to 500%. With the 2026 guidelines for the 48 states and Washington, DC, that is for free care, a yearly income up to about $31,920 for one person and $66,000 for a family of four; for discounts, a yearly income up to about $79,800 for one person and $165,000 for a family of four. Houston Methodist decides from its own application; only the hospital can confirm what you may get.
How do I apply for Houston Methodist financial assistance?
Get the application from a financial counselor, the Houston Methodist website or by mail, fill it in with proof of income, and return it by mail, fax or to a patient access team member. The policy says Houston Methodist writes back within 30 days of receiving it. Time to apply: A determination may be done at any time.
Source
Policy FI49 Financial Assistance, Effective 2016-01-01, revised 2020-01-01. Read with AI reading tools on November 6, 2026, and checked by a second one against the same document. There is also a plain language summary.
We are not part of Houston Methodist. 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.
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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.