Financial Assistance
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Mon - Thu: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Fri: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
What is it?
Through our Financial Assistance program, including Charity Care, we offer financial help to our patients who cannot pay all or part of their medical bills and who meet eligibility requirements. Patients seeking full Financial Assistance who appear eligible for Medical Assistance are required to apply for all available programs. Minnesota residents can complete this process at MNsure. This step ensures that all potential resources are considered before full financial support is approved. Patients approved for partial Financial Assistance are not required to apply for Medicaid.
Our commitment to care
Fairview does not report medical debt to credit agencies, does not sell debt to third parties, and does not limit the care a patient can receive when they are behind on medical bill payments.
Eligibility Criteria
Qualification for the Financial Assistance program is dependent on the applicants household income and assets. It’s important to note that only emergency or medically necessary care qualifies for Financial Assistance.
Here are some other qualifiers and disqualifiers for Financial Assistance:
Covers charges for:
- Your income is no more than four times (400%) the Federal Poverty Level.
- Care was medically needed, or an emergency.
Doesn’t cover charges for:
- Care that is not needed (care not approved by a Fairview doctor or trial treatments)
- Services given at Fairview by independent providers:
Fairview Health System Non-Covered Provider List
Fairview Health System Covered Provider List
- Services related to transplant
- Care received in free-standing ambulatory service centers (excluding Maple Grove Ambulatory Service Center)
- Services received before prerequisites are met, including applying for Medical Assistance/Minnesota Care.
Note: Medicare eligible patients may also be qualified to seek Financial Assistance from the Medicare Partners Program for contact information or visit Medicare Partners Program to apply.
Income Guidelines
To be eligible for full Financial Assistance (charity care), your household income should be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), as shown in the 'AGI – Fin. Asst./Charity Care' column. If your household income is between 201% and 400% of the FPL, you might qualify for a discount if you're uninsured or pay the Amount Generally Billed (AGB). The AGB is calculated using a look-back method to ensure that eligible individuals don't pay more than those with insurance for the same care. For more information, visit https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/limitation-on-charges-section-501r5.
Asset Guidelines
If a household has assets totaling more than $100,000, they are not eligible for Financial Assistance. Exceptions may be made for catastrophic situations, where the outstanding balances exceed the patient’s household asset totals. These will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
How to Apply?
First, if you live in Minnesota, you should make sure to apply for medical assistance through MNSure. Their website has good information on how to know if you qualify and how to apply. You are required to apply for state assistance before you can apply for our Financial Assistance program. Once that is done, you can apply for our Financial Assistance program via MyChart or by form.
FAQs
Fairview bases eligibility for financial assistance on your household income, your income’s percentage of the Federal Poverty Level, your family size, and your assets. Based on what benefit you qualify for, you may receive a 100% discount. If not a 100% discount, you may receive either an Amount Generally Billed (AGB) discount or uninsured discount, whichever discount is higher. You can find information about the AGB discount here.
For more information, please refer to the Financial Assistance Policy
Yes. Uninsured patients who live in and have an active address within the United States will receive a discount on medically needed hospital services. The discount will show up on your bill. People who receive the uninsured discount may also apply for Fairview’s Financial Assistance program.
No single organization can meet the needs of all patients who are unable to pay. Patients who need financial help should use all resources for which they qualify.
Following a determination of financial aid eligibility, a financial aid-eligible individual will not be charged more than the amount generally billed (AGB) to individuals who have insurance for emergency or medically necessary care.
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If you have an appointment to apply for Medical Assistance or MNCARE with us, please bring:
Insurance documents
- Minnesota Health Care Programs Renewal form if you have it
- Health insurance card if you have one
- MNsure account information if you already have an account
Financial and job-related documents
- Pay stubs from the past 30 days, or if you are self-employed, bring your most recent tax return
- Documents to verify any other sources of income such as unemployment or Social Security. You do not need to provide information around Supplemental Security Income (SSI), child support, worker's compensation, or veterans' benefits.
- Appendix A – Health Coverage from Jobs form: If anyone in your household is offered insurance through an employer, please ask your supervisor or HR contact to fill out this form.
Identification documents
- Your driver's license or photo ID
- Date of birth for everyone in the household
- Social Security number for every person applying
- Permanent Resident Card or other immigration documents if applicable
Need more help?
Need help decoding unfamiliar terms on your bills or statements?
Find definitions and commonly used financial acronyms below in our Glossary. For answers to billing related topics, check out our FAQ.