Help Paying Medical Bills: Programs Beyond Hospital Charity Care
Hospital charity care is only one option. Depending on your situation, disease copay foundations, government programs, and community health centers can cut or cover a medical bill too. Use the finder to see which fit you, then apply, or have CareRoute do it as part of Bill Defense.
Find financial assistance you may qualify for
A few questions, nothing saved. This points you to the right kind of program, it is a guide, not an eligibility decision.
1. What do you need help with?
Copay & grant foundations (for insured patients)
If you have insurance but the copays and coinsurance for an ongoing condition are crushing, these nonprofits run disease-specific funds that pay those costs. Most require active insurance and a qualifying diagnosis, are income-limited (often up to 400 to 500 percent of the federal poverty level), and open and close their funds through the year, so apply early when a fund is open.
| Foundation | Who it is for | What it covers | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| HealthWell Foundation | InsuredUsually up to 400–500% of the federal poverty level (varies by fund) | Copays, coinsurance, deductibles, and some premiumsRuns disease-specific funds for 80+ conditions; funds open and close, so check which are open now. | Site |
| PAN Foundation | InsuredTypically up to 400–500% FPL (varies by fund) | Copays, coinsurance, out-of-pocket costs, and some travelDisease-specific funds; you must be insured and the fund for your condition must be open. | Site |
| Good Days | InsuredVaries by fund | Copays and coinsurance for many chronic and life-altering diseasesInsurance required; availability varies by diagnosis. | Site |
| CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation | InsuredUp to 400% FPL | Copays for cancer treatment drugsFor insured cancer patients; funds are diagnosis-specific. | Site |
| Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Co-Pay Program | InsuredUp to 500% FPL | Copays, premiums, and some out-of-pocket costsFor blood cancers and some related conditions; enrollment opens and closes. | Site |
| American Kidney Fund | Insured or uninsuredProgram-specific | Help with premiums, transportation, and treatment-related costs for dialysis patientsGrants are often applied for by your dialysis clinic’s social worker. | Site |
| NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders) | InsuredVaries by program | Copays, premiums, diagnostic testing, and travel for specific rare diseasesPrograms are tied to specific rare diseases; check whether yours has one. | Site |
| Patient Advocate Foundation | Insured or uninsuredVaries by fund | Small copay relief grants, plus free case managers who fight billing and insurance problemsThe case-management help (billing errors, denials, financial aid) is available even when grant funds are closed. | Site |
| Modest Needs | Insured or uninsuredWorking, low-to-moderate income | One-time emergency grants for working households just above the poverty lineNot disease-specific; a general emergency grant, useful when no condition-specific fund fits. | Site |
Government programs (beyond Medicaid and Medicare)
Medicaid and Medicare have their own help (apply for Medicaid, help paying for Medicare). Beyond those, these programs help specific groups. Several are state or county specific, so availability depends on where you live.
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program
SiteWho: People with HIV and limited income
Covers: Medical care, medications (ADAP), and sometimes premiums and copays
How: Enroll through a local Ryan White provider or clinic
State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAPs)
SiteWho: Limited-income residents of certain states
Covers: Prescription drug costs
How: State-run; not every state has one, check your state health department
County indigent care / hospital district programs
Who: Low-income residents without other coverage
Covers: Care at county and public hospital facilities
How: Apply through your county health system (eligibility rules vary by county)
CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program)
MoreWho: Children in families that earn too much for Medicaid
Covers: Low-cost health coverage for kids
How: Apply through your state Medicaid/CHIP office
National Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
SiteWho: Low-income, uninsured or underinsured women
Covers: Free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screening (with a Medicaid treatment path if diagnosed)
How: Run by the CDC through state programs
Community & local options (insured or not)
Community health centers (FQHCs)
SiteWho: Anyone, insured or not
Covers: Primary, dental, and behavioral care on a sliding scale set by your income
How: Find one with the federal HRSA locator
Free & charitable clinics
SiteWho: Uninsured and low-income patients
Covers: Free or very low-cost care
How: Find one through the National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics
211 (United Way)
SiteWho: Anyone who needs local help fast
Covers: Connects you to local medical, prescription, and bill-payment assistance
How: Dial 2-1-1 or visit 211.org, free and 24/7
How to apply without wasting time
- Match the program to your situation first: insured with a specific condition points to copay foundations; uninsured points to Medicaid, community health centers, and hospital charity care.
- For copay foundations, check that the fund for your diagnosis is open before you start, and apply early in the year, many run out.
- Gather income proof (recent pay stubs or last tax return), your diagnosis, and your insurance details, most applications ask for these.
- Apply even if you are unsure you qualify. Limits are higher than people expect and vary by state, you lose nothing by trying.
Or let CareRoute find and apply for you
Pursuing financial assistance is part of Bill Defense. Send us the bill and we look at every path to lower it, the programs you qualify for, billing errors, insurance disputes, and direct negotiation. $0 upfront, no fee unless we save you money.
Send us your billFrequently asked questions
What financial assistance is there for medical bills besides hospital charity care?▾
Beyond hospital charity care, there are three main paths: disease-specific copay foundations (like HealthWell, PAN, and the Patient Advocate Foundation) that help insured patients with copays and coinsurance; government programs beyond Medicaid (Ryan White for HIV, state pharmaceutical assistance, county indigent care, and CHIP for children); and community options like sliding-scale community health centers (FQHCs), free clinics, and 211. CareRoute’s free finder points you to the ones that fit your situation, and Bill Defense can apply for them as part of handling your bill.
Can I get copay assistance if I have insurance?▾
Yes, and most copay-assistance foundations actually require it. Funds from HealthWell, PAN, Good Days, CancerCare, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society are designed for insured (or underinsured) patients whose plan pays part of the cost, and cover the copays, coinsurance, and sometimes premiums you are left with. They are usually tied to a specific diagnosis and to income (often up to 400–500% of the federal poverty level), and the fund for your condition has to be open at the time you apply.
What foundations help with cancer or kidney treatment copays?▾
For cancer, look at the CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (blood cancers), the PAN Foundation, HealthWell, and Good Days. For kidney disease and dialysis, the American Kidney Fund is the main one (often applied for through your dialysis clinic’s social worker), with PAN and HealthWell also running kidney funds. Availability changes as funds open and close, so check current openings.
Are there government programs to help pay medical bills if I am not on Medicaid?▾
Yes. The Ryan White program covers care and medications for people with HIV; some states run State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs for prescription costs; many counties have indigent-care or hospital-district programs for low-income residents; CHIP covers children whose families earn too much for Medicaid; and the CDC’s breast and cervical cancer program offers free screening. Most are income-based and several are state-specific, so availability depends on where you live.
Where can I get care if I have no insurance and cannot afford it?▾
Start with a community health center (FQHC), which charges on a sliding scale by income and will see you whether or not you have insurance, find one with the federal HRSA locator. Free and charitable clinics are another option, and dialing 211 connects you to local help. It is also worth applying for Medicaid (you may qualify and not know it) and, for a bill you already have, hospital charity care. CareRoute can walk you through which of these fits.
Does CareRoute apply to these programs for me?▾
Yes. Pursuing financial assistance is part of Bill Defense: when we take on a bill, we look at every path to lower it, including charity care and the assistance programs you qualify for, alongside catching billing errors and negotiating directly. You pay nothing upfront and only a fraction of what we save you, with no fee if we cannot reduce your bill.
Related
Sources & references
Program details from each organization and from USAGov, HRSA (findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov), the CDC, and HRSA Ryan White. Eligibility rules, income limits, and fund availability change; confirm current details with each program before applying. Educational information, not financial or medical advice.