Nationwide Children's Hospital
Nationwide Children's Hospital Financial Assistance Program · About this organization
What you get
Help with basic medically necessary hospital care and medically necessary balances not covered by medicaid when program requirements are met.
How to start
Send the signed assistance form through MyChart, email, fax or mail, with income proof or an explanation of why you cannot supply it.
Good to know
- Applicants must pursue other available resources first.
- The current public summary does not state the exact discount percentage for each income band up to 400% FPL.
The details, as published
Nationwide Children's provides free or discounted basic, medically necessary hospital care to patients who meet its financial-assistance rules, including children receiving B-ALL care at Nationwide Children's. The current 2026 summary sets an income ceiling of 400% of the federal poverty level, generally requires Ohio residence, and says non-Ohio residents seeking nonemergency care must be approved before treatment; other available resources must be used first. A parent or guarantor can submit the signed application with income information through MyChart, email, fax, or mail, or call Patient Accounts for help.
What help you may get
Household Bills And Cash Assistance
Nationwide Children's Hospital Financial Assistance Program — household bills and cash assistance
Nationwide Children's provides free or discounted basic, medically necessary hospital care to patients who meet its financial-assistance rules, including children receiving B-ALL care at Nationwide Children's. The current 2026 summary sets an income ceiling of 400% of the federal poverty level, generally requires Ohio residence, and says non-Ohio residents seeking nonemergency care must be approved before treatment; other available resources must be used first. A parent or guarantor can submit the signed application with income information through MyChart, email, fax, or mail, or call Patient Accounts for help.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Basic medically necessary hospital care
- Medically necessary balances not covered by Medicaid when program requirements are met
Does not cover
- Amounts covered by insurance or another responsible payer
- Care that is not medically necessary
- Charges from providers excluded by the Financial Assistance Policy provider listing
- Nonemergency care for a non-Ohio resident who was not preapproved
- Eligible patients will not be charged more than amounts generally billed to insured patients for emergency or other medically necessary care.
- The current summary promises free or discounted care but does not publish a universal dollar maximum or the discount percentage for each income band.
- Assistance applies to qualifying hospital accounts; the current public materials do not publish an award-count limit.
Medical And Insurance Costs
Nationwide Children's Hospital Financial Assistance Program — medical and insurance costs
Nationwide Children's provides free or discounted basic, medically necessary hospital care to patients who meet its financial-assistance rules, including children receiving B-ALL care at Nationwide Children's. The current 2026 summary sets an income ceiling of 400% of the federal poverty level, generally requires Ohio residence, and says non-Ohio residents seeking nonemergency care must be approved before treatment; other available resources must be used first. A parent or guarantor can submit the signed application with income information through MyChart, email, fax, or mail, or call Patient Accounts for help.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Basic medically necessary hospital care
- Medically necessary balances not covered by Medicaid when program requirements are met
Does not cover
- Amounts covered by insurance or another responsible payer
- Care that is not medically necessary
- Charges from providers excluded by the Financial Assistance Policy provider listing
- Nonemergency care for a non-Ohio resident who was not preapproved
- Eligible patients will not be charged more than amounts generally billed to insured patients for emergency or other medically necessary care.
- The current summary promises free or discounted care but does not publish a universal dollar maximum or the discount percentage for each income band.
- Assistance applies to qualifying hospital accounts; the current public materials do not publish an award-count limit.
- The published monetary limit is shared across the listed benefit components.
Check the main eligibility rules
Diagnosis
B-ALL is in scope. The current financial-assistance policy covers basic medically necessary services billed by Nationwide Children's without a diagnosis-specific exclusion; medically necessary B-ALL care therefore falls within the published service scope.
Age
Age 0 to age 18, measured at treatment period.
- The financial-assistance page describes its programs as serving families and children under age 19, but the Financial Assistance Program section does not publish a separate patient-age cutoff.
Treatment status
Active Treatment
- Provider confirmation is not published as mandatory.
- Care must be provided and billed by Nationwide Children's Hospital or a participating affiliated entity covered by the policy.
- Applicants must use other available resources, including applying through the local Department of Job and Family Services, before hospital financial assistance is considered.
- Medicaid recipients may receive financial assistance for medically necessary care that Medicaid does not cover.
Financial need is required.
- Eligibility is based on total gross income and family dependents.
- The reviewed 2026 summary does not publish the exact discount percentage at each income band within 0-400% FPL.
- Total gross household income before taxes; the application requests income for the three months and twelve months before the date of service.
- Unusual financial situations may receive further consideration.
- HCAP is a separate hospital-bill program for Ohio residents at or below 100% FPL who are not receiving Medicaid.
- Other resources, including application to the local Department of Job and Family Services, must be used before hospital assistance is considered.
Where you live and where your child is treated
Where your family lives
Residence coverage is not published clearly; confirm with the program.
- A non-Ohio resident requesting assistance for nonemergency care must be preapproved for financial assistance before receiving care.
- The current plain-language summary lists Ohio residence as a qualification.
Where your child is treated
Treatment must be connected to: Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Where the service, camp, stay, or experience happens
- Ohio — Ohio — Ohio
How to get started
Does a social worker or care team need to start it? No. A required care-team start is not published; the family can use the available route below.
Who can start: Caregiver, Parent Or Guardian, Patient
- Attach income verification or explain why it cannot be provided, sign the certification, and submit through MyChart, email, fax, or mail.
- Complete one financial-assistance application for each patient.
- Report household members and gross income for the three months and twelve months before the date of service.
- Use other available insurance and government resources first, including applying through the local Department of Job and Family Services when directed.
Ways to apply or ask
- Email · Open form or page · 614-722-2055 · Children'sPatientAccounts@NationwideChildrens.org — Email the signed application and attachments.
- Online Portal · Open form or page
- Online Portal · Open form or page
- Online Portal · Open form or page
Documents to prepare
- Applicant signature and date
- Copies of pay stubs or a letter from the employer, or an explanation that income verification cannot be provided
- Explanation of how the household is supported if zero income is reported
- Household-member and gross-income information for the three months and twelve months before the date of service
- Separate completed application for each patient
- Nationwide Children's applies the approved discount to eligible hospital charges.
Availability and timing
| Program | Active |
|---|---|
| Applications | Open |
| Funding or space | Not Published |
| Application window | Not Published |
| Last checked | Aug 24, 2026 |
- The current 2026 application provides active return instructions.
- Non-Ohio residents seeking nonemergency care must obtain financial-assistance approval before receiving care.
Limitations and things to confirm
- Applicants must pursue other available resources first.
- Ohio residence is the standard qualification; non-Ohio residents seeking nonemergency care need advance approval.
- The current public summary does not state the exact discount percentage for each income band up to 400% FPL.
- The program applies to medically necessary Nationwide Children's charges and participating providers, not every bill a family receives.
- How long does review usually take, and how long does an approval remain valid?
- What discount percentage applies at each household-income level within 0-400% FPL?
- What evidence is accepted when pay stubs or an employer letter cannot be provided?
- Which exact oncology clinicians and professional charges are included in the July 2026 provider listing for the child's planned care?
Official sources
Program details were last verified Aug 24, 2026. Availability can change, so check the official program before applying.
- 2026 Plain Language Summary and Financial Assistance Application · checked Aug 28, 2026
- 2026 Plain Language Summary and Financial Assistance Application · checked Aug 28, 2026
- Financial Assistance Policy for Our Families - Effective January 1, 2026 · checked Aug 28, 2026
- Financial Assistance Policy for Our Families - Effective January 1, 2026 · checked Aug 28, 2026
- Financial Assistance for Medical Bills - Nationwide Children's · checked Aug 28, 2026
- Financial Assistance for Medical Bills - Nationwide Children's · checked Aug 28, 2026