Ochsner Health income limits
| Household size | Free care: yearly income up to 200% |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $31,920 |
| 2 people | $43,280 |
| 3 people | $54,640 |
| 4 people | $66,000 |
| 5 people | $77,360 |
| 6 people | $88,720 |
- 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: “Ochsner Health shall provide a 100% Financial Assistance discount for eligible services to patients whose Family Income is at 200% of the FPL Guidelines or less.” (page 3)
- Sliding scale
- At or below 200%: 100% off. Above 200% the policy has no income limit or scale, and discounts are at Ochsner’s discretion. Uninsured patients who do not qualify may still get a facility-specific uninsured discount, for example 78% at Ochsner Medical Center, from 24% at Ochsner Choctaw General to 80% at Ochsner St. Mary.
- With insurance
- Underinsured patients may qualify, and help applies to what they owe after insurance, such as deductibles, copays and coinsurance. Out-of-network care is excluded unless it is an emergency, or the insurer only says so after the care. (Policy, pages 2, 3 and 5.)
- Savings and assets
- Savings or other assets may count.
- Large bills
- Above 200%, discounts for catastrophic illness or medical indigence (such as expensive medications and bills, terminal illness or multiple hospitalizations) are at Ochsner’s discretion; no percentage of income is stated.
How to apply for Ochsner 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: “A patient has 240 days from the date of the first post-discharge bill for an episode of care to apply for Financial Assistance” (page 4)
- How to apply
- Contact Patient Account Customer Service or visit Patient Financial Services at any Ochsner facility, and send the application with proof of income (a tax return or three recent pay stubs), proof of U.S. residency and dependents, and a copy of the insurance card. An application may be needed mainly for borderline, hardship and large-balance cases, because a third-party screening can decide otherwise.
- Differences by state
- The base policy covers the 22 hospitals and facilities listed in Attachment D, in Louisiana and Mississippi, and uninsured discount rates differ by facility. Separate policies are posted for St. Charles Parish Hospital, St. Bernard Parish Hospital and Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center, and Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport has its own policy with the same 200% free care limit.
- Also good to know
- Help applies to the patient’s share only, such as deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance.
Common questions about Ochsner Health financial assistance
What is the income limit for Ochsner Health financial assistance?
Ochsner Health’s policy lists free care up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. 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. The policy has differences by state or hospital, so check it for your hospital. Ochsner Health decides from its own application; only the hospital can confirm what you may get.
How do I apply for Ochsner Health financial assistance?
Contact Patient Account Customer Service or visit Patient Financial Services at any Ochsner facility, and send the application with proof of income (a tax return or three recent pay stubs), proof of U.S. residency and dependents, and a copy of the insurance card. An application may be needed mainly for borderline, hardship and large-balance cases, because a third-party screening can decide otherwise. Time to apply: 240 days after the first bill sent after care.
Source
Financial Assistance (OHS.REV.042), Effective 1/1/2025. 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 Ochsner 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 Louisiana? Find your hospital by name or town (156 Louisiana hospitals).
In Mississippi? Find your hospital by name or town (105 Mississippi hospitals).
Other health systems nearby
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.