Mayo Clinic income limits
| Household size | Free care: yearly income up to 200% | Discounts: yearly income up to 400% |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $31,920 | $63,840 |
| 2 people | $43,280 | $86,560 |
| 3 people | $54,640 | $109,280 |
| 4 people | $66,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 people | $77,360 | $154,720 |
| 6 people | $88,720 | $177,440 |
- 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: “100% adjustment of the self-pay balance for applicants with household income and assets of equal to or less than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines” (page 3)
- Discounts
- Up to 400% of the guidelines: about $132,000 a year for a family of four.The policy says: “50% adjustment of the self-pay balance for applicants with household income and assets of up to 400% of the federal poverty guidelines” (page 3)
- Sliding scale
- Up to 200%: 100% off the self-pay balance. Above 200% and up to 400%: 50% off the self-pay balance. Both tiers weigh household income and assets, and the balance is limited to the amount generally billed.
- With insurance
- Underinsured patients may apply for help with the self-pay balance left after other payment options, and must let Mayo submit claims. Help is generally not available if Mayo is out of network, except for emergency department care or treatment unique to Mayo. (Policy, pages 1 to 3.)
- Savings and assets
- Savings or other assets may count.
- Large bills
- Mayo Clinic may offer help case by case when a patient has extreme financial difficulties and high medical expenses; no income or percentage threshold is stated. Insured patients must be treated in network.
How to apply for Mayo Clinic financial assistance
- Without a full application
- Some patients may be approved without a full application.
- Time to apply
- At least 240 days after the first bill sent after care, or 30 days after a written notice of planned collection actions if that is later.The policy says: “ends 240 days after the first post-discharge billing statement or 30 days after the hospital or authorized third party provides written notice of extraordinary collection actions” (page 1)
- How to apply
- Download the free application from Mayo Clinic’s financial assistance web page, or pick one up at an admissions, registration or business services desk or the emergency department. Send it with income and asset documents.
- Differences by state
- Minnesota follows this policy (form MC5815-03). Arizona, Florida and Wisconsin follow a second policy, form MC5815-65 at mcforms.mayo.edu, with the same 200% and 400% limits and 240-day period.
- Also good to know
- Applicants must be US citizens, permanent residents or full-time student-visa holders. Cosmetic surgery, in vitro fertilization, certain gastric bypass, research-linked accounts and premium accommodations are excluded.
Common questions about Mayo Clinic financial assistance
What is the income limit for Mayo Clinic financial assistance?
Mayo Clinic’s policy lists free care up to 200% 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 $31,920 for one person and $66,000 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. Mayo Clinic decides from its own application; only the hospital can confirm what you may get.
How do I apply for Mayo Clinic financial assistance?
Download the free application from Mayo Clinic’s financial assistance web page, or pick one up at an admissions, registration or business services desk or the emergency department. Send it with income and asset documents. Time to apply: At least 240 days after the first bill sent after care, or 30 days after a written notice of planned collection actions if that is later.
Source
Financial Assistance Policy, Mayo Clinic and Affiliated Hospitals and Clinics in Minnesota (form MC5815-03rev0924). 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 Mayo Clinic. 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 Arizona? Find your hospital by name or town (95 Arizona hospitals).
In Florida? Find your hospital by name or town (212 Florida hospitals).
In Minnesota? Find your hospital by name or town (132 Minnesota 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.