We have not yet read District of Columbia’s own laws on hospital bills; this page covers each hospital’s own policy and the federal rules for nonprofit hospitals.
Have a bill from one of these hospitals?
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9 District of Columbia hospitals, by town.
Nonprofit and government hospitals
Children's National Hospital
Washington · Nonprofit, childrens
Financial assistance policyPlain language summaryApplication
Howard University Hospital
Washington · Nonprofit, general acute care
We could not read its financial assistance policy on 2026-11-09 (its website did not open for us). Ask the billing office for the policy and the application.
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
Washington · Nonprofit, general acute care · MedStar Health
- Free care
- Up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines: about $66,000 a year for a family of four in 2026.Only for some patients, for example by insurance, residence or savings: the policy’s words below say which.
The policy says
“Free Care (100% Financial Assistance) will be available to uninsured and underinsured patients with family incomes between 0% and 200% of the FPL.”
Read on this document, 2026-11-09.
- Discounts
- Up to 400% of the federal poverty guidelines: about $132,000 a year for a family of four in 2026.Only for some patients, for example by insurance, residence or savings: the policy’s words below say which.
The policy says
“Reduced Cost-Care will be available to uninsured and underinsured patients with family incomes between 201% and 400% of the FPL, as defined in Section 5.2 , calculated at the time of service or updated, as appropriate, to account for any change in financial circumstances of the patient that occurs within 240 days after the initial hospital bill is provided.”
Read on this document, 2026-11-09.
- Timing
- 240 days after the first bill
The policy says
“Free Care is calculated at the time of service or updated, as appropriate, to account for any changes in financial circumstances of the patient that occurs within 240 days after the initial hospital bill is provided.”
Read on this document, 2026-11-09.
Financial assistance policyHospital’s financial assistance pagePlain language summaryApplication
Psychiatric Institute of Washington
Washington · Nonprofit, psychiatric
We could not read its financial assistance policy on 2026-11-09 (its website did not open for us). Ask the billing office for the policy and the application.
Saint Elizabeths Hospital
Washington · Government, psychiatric
We could not read its financial assistance policy on 2026-11-09 (we found no policy). Ask the billing office for the policy and the application.
Sibley Memorial Hospital
Washington · Nonprofit, general acute care
We could not read its financial assistance policy on 2026-11-09 (its website did not open for us). Ask the billing office for the policy and the application.
For-profit hospitals
The federal rules for nonprofit hospitals do not apply to a for-profit hospital. Ask whether it has a financial assistance or charity care policy.
George Washington Univ Hospital
Washington · For-profit, general acute care
Ask whether it has a financial assistance or charity care policy.
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital
Washington · For-profit, general acute care
Ask whether it has a financial assistance or charity care policy.
United Medical Center
Washington · For-profit, general acute care
Ask whether it has a financial assistance or charity care policy.
Federal rules for nonprofit hospitals
- A nonprofit hospital must have a written financial assistance policy. There is no federal income level: the policy sets its own criteria.
- It must accept applications for at least 240 days after the first bill sent after you leave.
- For patients it finds eligible, charges for emergency and other medically necessary care are limited to the amounts generally billed to people with insurance.
- These rules apply to hospitals recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3), including government hospitals with that status.
More in the hospital charity care guide.
What to ask the billing office
- Ask for the financial assistance policy, the application and the plain language summary.
- Ask which income limit applies to your household and what counts as income.
- Ask whether the doctors who treated you are covered by the policy or bill separately.
- Ask until when you can still apply for the bill you have, and ask for the answer in writing.
The free financial assistance letter asks for all three papers. Denied? How to appeal or reapply. Already paid? How applying after you have paid works. Compare large health systems on the hospital list.
Helping people with hospital bills in District of Columbia?
Send them this page. With a client link from your organization they also get Pro at no cost to them: the full list for every bill, the questions to ask and a letter. A free pilot is available on request.
Sources
The list of hospitals, their towns, counties and ownership come from Hospital General Information (CMS Provider Data Catalog), modified 2026-07-22. Ownership is CMS’s label, not a tax ruling. We left out the 1 hospitals the CMS file lists under federal ownership, such as VA and military hospitals.
Each figure comes from the hospital’s own policy, which every figure links to, with the policy’s words and the day we read it (2026-11-09). We used AI reading tools, and a second independent check compared each quote and figure with the policy text. A figure that was not confirmed is left out. Dollar amounts use the 2026 federal poverty guidelines for the 48 states and Washington, DC (91 FR 1797).
We are not part of any of these hospitals. Policies change, and the hospital decides from its own form, with conditions such as assets or residency that the policy sets. If what you read here differs from the current policy, the policy counts. A correction? Tell us on the Support page.
MedBillCheckup 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.