New York State Department of Health
Hospital Financial Assistance under Public Health Law § 2807-k · About this organization
What you get
Discounted or waived emergency and medically necessary hospital bills, based on your family's finances.
How to start
Fill in household, income, insurance, and medical-bill information.
Good to know
- Income, insurance status, medical-expense, and service-type rules apply.
- The current statewide law requires covered hospitals to maintain the financial-assistance process.
The details, as published
New York law requires licensed hospitals to offer a uniform financial-assistance process for emergency and medically necessary hospital care, including pediatric cancer care. Published statewide rules cover households up to 400% of the federal poverty level when the patient is uninsured, has exhausted benefits, or is underinsured with paid medical expenses over 10% of gross annual income; immigration status cannot be used as an eligibility criterion. Families submit the uniform form to the treating hospital’s financial-assistance office, which must decide a complete application within 30 days, while provider coverage and non-emergency service-area rules can vary by hospital.
What help you may get
Household Bills And Cash Assistance
Hospital Financial Assistance under Public Health Law § 2807-k — household bills and cash assistance
New York law requires licensed hospitals to offer a uniform financial-assistance process for emergency and medically necessary hospital care, including pediatric cancer care. Published statewide rules cover households up to 400% of the federal poverty level when the patient is uninsured, has exhausted benefits, or is underinsured with paid medical expenses over 10% of gross annual income; immigration status cannot be used as an eligibility criterion. Families submit the uniform form to the treating hospital’s financial-assistance office, which must decide a complete application within 30 days, while provider coverage and non-emergency service-area rules can vary by hospital.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Discounted or waived charges for emergency hospital care
- Discounted or waived charges for medically necessary hospital care
Does not cover
- Bills from clinicians or entities excluded by the hospital’s financial-assistance policy
- Care the hospital determines is not emergency or medically necessary
- The discount varies by FPL tier and hospital policy; covered charges are waived under the lowest statutory income tier.
- Assistance applies to eligible hospital bills and can be requested throughout billing and collections.
Medical And Insurance Costs
Hospital Financial Assistance under Public Health Law § 2807-k — medical and insurance costs
New York law requires licensed hospitals to offer a uniform financial-assistance process for emergency and medically necessary hospital care, including pediatric cancer care. Published statewide rules cover households up to 400% of the federal poverty level when the patient is uninsured, has exhausted benefits, or is underinsured with paid medical expenses over 10% of gross annual income; immigration status cannot be used as an eligibility criterion. Families submit the uniform form to the treating hospital’s financial-assistance office, which must decide a complete application within 30 days, while provider coverage and non-emergency service-area rules can vary by hospital.
Amount decided by the program · As Needed
Can cover
- Discounted or waived charges for emergency hospital care
- Discounted or waived charges for medically necessary hospital care
Does not cover
- Bills from clinicians or entities excluded by the hospital’s financial-assistance policy
- Care the hospital determines is not emergency or medically necessary
- The discount varies by FPL tier and hospital policy; covered charges are waived under the lowest statutory income tier.
- Assistance applies to eligible hospital bills and can be requested throughout billing and collections.
- The published monetary limit is shared across the listed benefit components.
Check the main eligibility rules
Diagnosis
B-ALL is in scope. The published program serves children with cancer or a broader medical category that includes pediatric B-ALL.
Age
The program does not publish an age limit.
- The hospital financial-assistance law applies regardless of age.
Treatment status
No specific treatment status is published.
- A provider must verify the patient or diagnosis.
- Bills from providers outside the hospital policy may not be covered.
- Services must be emergency or medically necessary hospital care.
- Immigration status cannot be an eligibility criterion.
- At hospital discretion, inability to pay a copay or deductible may also be considered.
- The patient is uninsured, has exhausted insurance benefits and cannot pay full charges, or is underinsured with qualifying out-of-pocket medical costs.
Financial need is required.
- Statewide required assistance extends through 400% of the federal poverty level; hospitals may be more inclusive.
- Applicants with exhausted benefits must show inability to pay full charges.
- Underinsured means paid out-of-pocket medical costs in the prior 12 months exceed 10% of gross annual household income.
Where you live and where your child is treated
Where your family lives
You must live in: NY.
- Emergency-care financial assistance is statewide; a hospital may apply its primary service area to non-emergency care.
Where your child is treated
Treatment must be connected to: The care must be emergency or medically necessary care from a licensed New York hospital covered by the law..
- The care must be emergency or medically necessary care from a licensed New York hospital covered by the law.
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
- Complete household, income, insurance, and medical-bill information.
- Obtain the uniform New York hospital financial-assistance form in the needed language.
- Receive a written decision within 30 days after the application is complete and use the hospital appeal process if needed.
- Submit the form and requested proof to the treating hospital’s financial-assistance office.
Ways to apply or ask
- Online Portal · Open form or page
Documents to prepare
- Household-income proof requested by the hospital
- Household-size information
- Identity information
- Insurance and medical-bill information
Availability and timing
| Program | Active |
|---|---|
| Applications | Open |
| Funding or space | Available |
| Application window | Rolling |
| Last checked | Aug 24, 2026 |
- The current statewide law requires covered hospitals to maintain the financial-assistance process.
- Applications may be made throughout billing and collections.
- The hospital must decide within 30 days after receiving a complete application.
Limitations and things to confirm
- Income, insurance status, medical-expense, and service-type rules apply.
- Non-emergency residence rules and covered clinicians vary by hospital.
- The program reduces hospital charges; it does not provide cash to the family.
- Does the hospital offer voluntary discounts above the statutory minimum?
- What exact discount applies at the household’s FPL tier?
- What primary service area does the treating hospital apply to non-emergency care?
- Which affiliated clinicians and bills are included or excluded by the hospital policy?
Official sources
Program details were last verified Aug 24, 2026. Availability can change, so check the official program before applying.
- Patient Financial Aid Law Hospital Information and Uniform Application · checked Aug 27, 2026
- Patient Financial Aid Law Hospital Information and Uniform Application · checked Aug 23, 2026
- Patient’s Financial Aid Law — New York State Department of Health · checked Aug 27, 2026
- Patient’s Financial Aid Law — New York State Department of Health · checked Aug 23, 2026
- Hospital Financial Assistance Programs for Patients · checked Aug 27, 2026
- Hospital Financial Assistance Programs for Patients · checked Aug 23, 2026