Most Generous Hospital Charity Care in New Orleans (2026)

New Orleans hospitals ranked by how generous their financial assistance programs are. Louisiana expanded Medicaid in 2016, which cut hospital uncompensated care costs by 33%, but charity care programs remain critical for uninsured and underinsured patients. Enter your income below to see which hospitals would cover your bills.

What is FPL? The Federal Poverty Level is a government-set income threshold used by hospitals to determine who qualifies for free or discounted care. For example, 250% FPL for a family of four is about $82,500 per year. The higher a hospital's FPL threshold, the more people qualify.

Do You Qualify? Check Now

Enter your annual household income and household size. We will show you which New Orleans hospitals would give you free or discounted care.

New Orleans Hospitals with Most Generous Charity Care

Sorted by the income level at which you qualify for completely free care. Higher FPL thresholds mean more people qualify.

Hospital	Free Care	Discounted Care	Hardship	Details
University Medical Center New Orleans LCMC Health Successor to the historic Charity Hospital	≤ 250% FPL $82,500/yr (family of 4)	≤ 400% FPL Sliding scale	Yes	Coming soon
Touro Infirmary LCMC Health	≤ 250% FPL $82,500/yr (family of 4)	≤ 400% FPL Sliding scale	Yes	Coming soon
Children's Hospital New Orleans LCMC Health Pediatric patients only	≤ 250% FPL $82,500/yr (family of 4)	≤ 400% FPL Sliding scale	Yes	Coming soon
West Jefferson Medical Center LCMC Health	≤ 250% FPL $82,500/yr (family of 4)	≤ 400% FPL Sliding scale	Yes	Coming soon
East Jefferson General Hospital LCMC Health	≤ 250% FPL $82,500/yr (family of 4)	≤ 400% FPL Sliding scale	Yes	Coming soon
Ochsner Medical Center Ochsner Health Ochsner LSU facilities use 250% FPL threshold	≤ 200% FPL $66,000/yr (family of 4)	≤ 400% FPL Sliding scale	Yes	Coming soon
Tulane Medical Center LCMC Health All self-pay patients get an uninsured discount regardless of income	≤ 200% FPL $66,000/yr (family of 4)	≤ 400% FPL Sliding scale	No	Coming soon

LCMC Health vs. Ochsner Health: Which System Is More Generous?

New Orleans is dominated by two major hospital systems, and their charity care policies differ meaningfully.

LCMC Health (UMC, Touro, Tulane Medical Center, Children's Hospital, East Jefferson, West Jefferson) offers free care at 250% FPL for most of its hospitals. For a family of four, that means free care if your household earns under $82,500 per year.

Ochsner Health (Ochsner Medical Center on Jefferson Highway, plus regional facilities) sets its free care threshold at 200% FPL, which is $66,000 for a family of four. However, Ochsner LSU Health System facilities (a joint venture) use the higher 250% FPL threshold.

Bottom line: If your income falls between 200% and 250% FPL, you qualify for free care at LCMC hospitals but only discounted care at Ochsner's main campus. Both systems offer sliding-scale discounts up to 400% FPL.

What You Need to Apply

Most New Orleans hospitals require similar documentation. Gather these before you apply:

Proof of income for all household members (recent pay stubs, tax returns, Social Security or disability award letters, or a signed statement of no income)
Proof of household size (tax return showing dependents, birth certificates, or lease agreement)
Government-issued ID (driver's license, state ID, or passport). Citizenship is not required at any New Orleans hospital.
Proof of Louisiana residency (utility bill, lease, or bank statement with a Louisiana address). LCMC hospitals require Louisiana residency for financial assistance.

Tip: LCMC hospitals have financial counselors on-site who can help you complete the application. At UMC, visit the Financial Counseling area in the first lobby. Ochsner accepts applications through its MyOchsner patient portal as well as by mail.

Application Deadlines and Timing

All nonprofit hospitals in New Orleans must give you at least 240 days from the first post-discharge billing statement to apply for financial assistance. This is a federal requirement under IRS Section 501(r).

Already in collections? You can still apply. If your bill was sent to collections before the 240-day window closed, the hospital must process your application and, if approved, reverse any collections activity. Organizations like Dollar For can help you submit applications at no cost.

Medicaid first: Louisiana Medicaid covers adults earning up to 138% FPL. Hospitals will typically screen you for Medicaid eligibility before processing a charity care application. If you qualify for Medicaid, that coverage may be applied retroactively up to 3 months.

Louisiana Law Protections

Louisiana has several meaningful protections for patients with medical debt. Key things New Orleans patients should know:

Medicaid expansion (2016): Louisiana expanded Medicaid under the ACA, covering adults earning up to 138% FPL. This reduced hospital uncompensated care costs by 33% statewide. Over 700,000 Louisianans gained coverage, so always check Medicaid eligibility before applying for charity care.
3-year statute of limitations: Creditors have 3 years to file suit for unpaid medical debt in Louisiana (Louisiana Civil Code Art. 3494). This is shorter than many states.
Homestead exemption: Louisiana law protects up to $35,000 of home equity from seizure for most debts, including medical judgments. If your home equity is under that amount, it cannot be taken to satisfy a medical debt judgment.
No state charity care mandate: Louisiana does not have a state law requiring hospitals to offer charity care beyond federal 501(r) requirements. Program generosity depends on each hospital's policy, which is why comparing thresholds matters.
Wage garnishment limits: Louisiana follows federal limits on wage garnishment (up to 25% of disposable earnings), but the first $188.50 per week is exempt.

Insider Tips for New Orleans Patients

UMC is the spiritual successor to Charity Hospital. University Medical Center New Orleans was built to replace the legendary Charity Hospital after Hurricane Katrina. It maintains the same mission of serving all patients regardless of ability to pay, and its 250% FPL free care threshold is among the most generous in the Gulf South.

Tulane Medical Center gives all self-pay patients a discount. Even if you do not qualify for charity care, Tulane automatically applies an uninsured discount (similar to managed-care rates) to all self-pay patients. This applies before you even submit a financial assistance application.

LCMC hospitals share one application. If you have bills at multiple LCMC hospitals (UMC, Touro, Tulane Medical Center, East Jefferson, West Jefferson), one financial assistance application covers all of them. You do not need to apply separately at each facility.

Ochsner's MyOchsner portal speeds up the process. You can submit your financial assistance application and upload documents through Ochsner's online patient portal, which typically results in faster processing than mailing paper forms. Call 504-842-4190 for help.

Check Medicaid retroactive coverage. If you were uninsured when you received care but later enroll in Louisiana Medicaid, your coverage can be applied retroactively up to 3 months. This can eliminate the need for a charity care application entirely.

Not sure where to start? Let us handle it.

CareRoute Bill Defense applies for financial assistance on your behalf, negotiates with the hospital, and monitors your account to keep it out of collections. No upfront cost, and no fee if we can't reduce your bill.

Get help with your bill

Frequently Asked Questions

What income qualifies for free hospital care in New Orleans?

Most LCMC Health hospitals (UMC, Touro, West Jefferson, East Jefferson, Children's Hospital) offer 100% free care to patients earning up to 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. Ochsner Medical Center offers free care up to 200% FPL. For a family of four in 2026, 250% FPL is about $82,500 per year. All hospitals offer sliding-scale discounts up to 400% FPL.

Does Louisiana Medicaid expansion affect charity care eligibility?

Louisiana expanded Medicaid in 2016, covering adults earning up to 138% FPL (about $45,540 for a family of four). If you qualify for Medicaid, apply for that first. Hospital financial assistance is for patients who are uninsured or underinsured after other coverage options are exhausted. Hospitals will screen you for Medicaid eligibility before processing a charity care application.

How long do I have to apply for charity care in New Orleans?

Under federal 501(r) rules, nonprofit hospitals must accept financial assistance applications for at least 240 days after the first post-discharge billing statement. This applies to all major New Orleans hospitals. You can apply even if the bill has already gone to collections.

Can undocumented immigrants get charity care in New Orleans?

Yes. Federal law requires nonprofit hospitals to offer financial assistance regardless of citizenship or immigration status. New Orleans hospitals cannot deny your application based on your immigration status. You do not need a Social Security number to apply.

What is the difference between LCMC Health and Ochsner Health?

LCMC Health operates University Medical Center, Touro, Tulane Medical Center, Children's Hospital, East Jefferson, and West Jefferson. Ochsner Health operates Ochsner Medical Center (the main Jefferson Highway campus) and several other facilities across Louisiana. LCMC hospitals generally have a higher free care threshold (250% FPL) compared to Ochsner (200% FPL), making LCMC the more generous system for charity care in the New Orleans metro.

How we rank: Hospitals are sorted by the income threshold at which they offer 100% free care (higher = more generous). FPL figures are based on 2026 Federal Poverty Level guidelines.

Data is sourced from each hospital's published financial assistance policy. Last updated May 2026. For the most current information, contact each hospital's financial assistance office directly.