Northwell Health 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 FPG are eligible to receive Emergency Medical Care or Medically Necessary Services at no charge” (page 6)
- 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 FPG are eligible to receive a discount” (page 5 to 6)
- Sliding scale
- Patients pay a share of the amount generally billed: 0% up to 200%, 5% at 201% to 250%, 10% at 251% to 300%, 15% at 301% to 350%, 20% at 351% to 400%, and the full amount generally billed at 401% to 500%. All uninsured patients, at any income, are billed at the rate of Northwell’s highest-volume commercial payor.
- With insurance
- Underinsured patients may get help with deductibles, copays and coinsurance if their out-of-pocket costs passed 10% of income in 12 months and their income fits. (Policy, pages 2, 4 and 6.)
- Large bills
- An insured patient counts as underinsured after paying out-of-pocket medical costs above 10% of annual gross income in the past 12 months, and the same scale then applies to the cost sharing. The hospital may also make hardship changes case by case.
How to apply for Northwell Health financial assistance
- Without a full application
- Some patients may be approved without a full application.
- Time to apply
- Patients are encouraged to apply within 90 days of the first bill sent after care, and applications are accepted at any time while a balance is outstanding.The policy says: “Northwell will accept Financial Assistance Applications at any time a patient has an outstanding balance” (page 7)
- How to apply
- Apply online on the Northwell financial assistance page, get a paper form from any hospital registration or emergency desk, do a phone interview with a financial counselor, or mail the form to the Financial Assistance Unit. Northwell sends a written decision within 30 days.
- Differences by state
- This policy covers Northwell’s New York hospitals and asks for New York residency; patients from other states are reviewed case by case. The former Nuvance hospitals (Danbury, New Milford, Norwalk and Sharon in Connecticut, and Northern Dutchess, Putnam and Vassar Brothers in New York) use a separate policy with the same 200% and 500% limits.
Common questions about Northwell Health financial assistance
What is the income limit for Northwell Health financial assistance?
Northwell Health’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. The policy has differences by state or hospital, so check it for your hospital. Northwell Health decides from its own application; only the hospital can confirm what you may get.
How do I apply for Northwell Health financial assistance?
Apply online on the Northwell financial assistance page, get a paper form from any hospital registration or emergency desk, do a phone interview with a financial counselor, or mail the form to the Financial Assistance Unit. Northwell sends a written decision within 30 days. Time to apply: Patients are encouraged to apply within 90 days of the first bill sent after care, and applications are accepted at any time while a balance is outstanding.
Source
Financial Assistance Policy and Procedures (System Policy #300.20), System approval date 02/24/2026. 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 Northwell 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 Connecticut? Find your hospital by name or town (34 Connecticut hospitals).
In New York? Find your hospital by name or town (182 New York 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.