Your Utah Medical Bill Rights: ALL Hospitals Must Offer Charity Care, 0% Interest Plans, and Pre-Collection Screening (2026 Guide)

1. ALL Utah Hospitals Must Offer Charity Care (Utah Code 26B-2-224)

This is Utah's strongest and most underused protection. Unlike nearly every other state, Utah requires all licensed hospitals to maintain charity care programs. This includes for-profit hospitals, not just nonprofits. The law means:

• Every hospital must have a written financial assistance policy available to patients
• Hospitals must screen uninsured patients for financial assistance eligibility BEFORE initiating collections
• The hospital cannot claim it "doesn't have a charity care program" because state law requires one
• You can apply even after receiving a bill, and even if you have insurance but face high out-of-pocket costs

How to Use This Right

1. 1Contact the hospital's financial counseling or patient financial services department
2. 2Request the financial assistance application (they must provide one by law)
3. 3Gather proof of income (tax return, pay stubs, unemployment documentation)
4. 4Submit and request a billing hold while your application is reviewed
5. 5If denied, ask for the specific reason in writing and appeal

2. 0% Interest Payment Plans Required (HB 228, 2022)

Under HB 228, Utah hospitals must offer interest-free payment plans before referring any patient account to a collection agency. This means:

• Zero percent interest on hospital payment plans, period
• The hospital must offer the plan before referring you to collections
• Request the payment plan in writing so you have documentation
• If already in collections, ask whether the hospital offered a 0% plan first (if not, the referral may be improper)

3. 45/60-Day Notice Before Credit Reporting (HB 445, 2019)

Utah providers must give you written notice before reporting medical debt to credit bureaus. The timeline depends on your status:

Additionally, under federal rules effective since 2023, medical debt under $500 cannot appear on credit reports, and paid medical debt must be removed. Medical debt in collections for less than one year also cannot be reported.

4. Pre-Collection Screening: Your First Line of Defense

Utah law creates a mandatory checkpoint before hospitals can send you to collections. Hospitals cannot refer accounts to collection agencies without first:

• Screening you for eligibility for their charity care program
• Screening you for Medicaid, CHIP, or other public program eligibility
• Offering a 0% interest payment plan (HB 228)
• Providing the required 45-day notice before credit reporting (HB 445)

5. Ground Ambulance Balance Billing Banned (HB 301, 2025)

Starting in 2025, Utah's HB 301 prohibits ground ambulance providers from balance billing patients for covered services. Previously, ground ambulances were a gap in balance billing protections (the federal No Surprises Act covers air ambulances and hospital emergency services but not ground ambulances). Utah closed this gap.

6. Intermountain Health Financial Assistance (Practical Guide)

Intermountain Health dominates Utah healthcare with 34 hospitals and approximately 400 clinics. If you received care at any Intermountain facility, their financial assistance program is one of the most generous in the region.

How to Apply for Intermountain Financial Assistance

1. 1
   Get the application: Visit intermountainhealthcare.org/for-patients/financial-assistance or call any Intermountain billing office
2. 2
   Gather documentation: Recent tax return, two months of pay stubs, or proof of unemployment/disability
3. 3
   Submit and request billing hold: Ask that collections activity be paused while your application is processed
4. 4
   Apply for multiple bills at once: Since one application covers all facilities, list every outstanding Intermountain balance
5. 5
   If denied, consider Dollar For: This nonprofit specializes in getting charity care retroactively applied, even after collections

7. Balance Billing and Surprise Bill Protections

Utah patients are protected by both federal and state balance billing laws:

Federal No Surprises Act (All Patients)

• Emergency services: You pay in-network rates regardless of the provider's network status
• Out-of-network providers at in-network facilities: You pay only in-network cost-sharing
• Air ambulances: Balance billing prohibited for insured patients

Utah State Additions

• Ground ambulance balance billing banned (HB 301, 2025)
• State health plan beneficiaries have additional protections for out-of-network services
• All hospitals must provide good faith estimates to uninsured/self-pay patients

8. Hospital Liens and Homestead Protection

Utah law limits when hospitals can place liens on your property and provides strong homestead protection:

Hospital Liens (Chapter 38-7)

• Hospital liens in Utah apply ONLY to personal injury settlement proceeds
• A hospital cannot lien your home, car, or other property for routine medical debt
• The lien attaches only to the injury claim/settlement that relates to the treatment

Homestead Exemption

Even if a medical debt collector wins a court judgment, they cannot force the sale of your home to satisfy the debt as long as your equity is below the homestead exemption amount. Utah also protects certain personal property from seizure, including necessary household goods, tools of trade, and one motor vehicle up to a certain value.

9. Statute of Limitations: 6 Years (Section 78B-2-309)

Medical debt in Utah is governed by the 6-year statute of limitations for written contracts under Section 78B-2-309. After 6 years without a payment or written acknowledgment, the debt becomes "time-barred," and creditors cannot sue to collect.

Key Points About Time-Barred Debt

• Time-barred debt still exists, but it is not legally enforceable through the courts
• Collectors can still contact you about it, but cannot threaten to sue (that would violate the FDCPA)
• If sued on time-barred debt, raise the statute of limitations as an affirmative defense in your answer
• The clock starts from your last payment or last charge on the account

10. Utah Medicaid Expansion (Proposition 3)

Utah expanded Medicaid through Proposition 3 (2018 voter initiative), covering adults up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. Approximately 72,000 adults gained coverage. If you are currently uninsured and have a low income, check whether you qualify:

Medicaid Can Be Applied Retroactively

Utah Medicaid can cover bills up to 3 months before your application date, as long as you were eligible during that period. If you have outstanding medical bills from the past 90 days and believe you qualify, apply immediately.

11. Step-by-Step: How to Dispute a Medical Bill in Utah

12. Dollar For: Free Help Getting Charity Care Applied

Dollar For is a nonprofit organization that helps patients get charity care retroactively applied to medical bills, even after the bills have gone to collections. They specialize in working with Utah patients and have helped thousands of people get bills reduced or eliminated entirely.

• Free service: Dollar For does not charge patients for their help
• Retroactive applications: They can help get charity care applied even after collections
• Experts in hospital policies: They know the specific requirements for each Utah hospital system
• Handle paperwork: They help you gather documents and complete applications correctly

Visit dollarfor.org to check your eligibility and start a free application. They work with hospitals nationwide but have deep expertise with Intermountain Health, University of Utah Health, and other Utah systems.

13. Wage Garnishment and Judgment Protections

If a medical debt collector obtains a court judgment against you, Utah limits what they can take:

• Wage garnishment: Limited to 25% of disposable earnings or the amount exceeding 30x federal minimum wage, whichever is less
• Homestead exemption: $53,700 per individual (home equity protected from judgment creditors)
• Personal property: Necessary household furnishings, tools of trade, and one vehicle are partially exempt
• Bank accounts: Certain funds are exempt from garnishment, including Social Security, disability, and public assistance

Utah Medical Billing Resources and Complaint Contacts

Frequently Asked Questions