Pennsylvania charity care
No statewide income floor was found for this state: at nonprofit hospitals the federal 501(r) rules apply and the hospital's own policy sets the income lines. Below: the five things that decide your bill in Pennsylvania — the free-care line, the discount line, whether the hospital must screen you, your application window, and your credit-report protection — each with its source.
No state income floor was located in our research pass of statutes, regulations, and state trackers; the federal floor and hospital policies below are the operative rules. If a state rule exists and we missed it, the hospital's published policy will show it. Checked October 19, 2026.
Pennsylvania ties hospital tax exemption to charity care (the 'purely public charity' test) but sets no statewide income floor. Each nonprofit hospital's own policy — commonly free care at or below 200% of the poverty guidelines — is the document that decides.
| Household size | Poverty guideline | Free-care line | Discount line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $31,920 200% (typical policy) | $47,880 300% (typical policy) |
| 2 | $21,640 | $43,280 200% (typical policy) | $64,920 300% (typical policy) |
| 4 | $33,000 | $66,000 200% (typical policy) | $99,000 300% (typical policy) |
| 6 | $44,360 | $88,720 200% (typical policy) | $133,080 300% (typical policy) |
Guidelines: 2026 HHS Poverty Guidelines (Federal Register, January 2026). Lines shown use Pennsylvania's statutory percentages where the state sets them; "typical policy" marks the most common hospital-policy lines where it doesn't. Your hospital's policy is the deciding document — the kit shows you how to get it and read it.
At any nonprofit hospital in Pennsylvania: a written financial assistance policy must exist and be publicized; you have 240 days from the first post-discharge bill to apply; no extraordinary collection actions for 120 days or while a complete application is decided; charges for eligible patients are capped at amounts generally billed; and money paid above what you owed comes back when a submitted application is approved. The full plain-words version.
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Pennsylvania sets no statewide free-care percentage. Nonprofit hospitals' own financial assistance policies set the line — most commonly 200% of the poverty guidelines ($66,000 for a household of four in 2026).
The federal period controls: 240 days from your first post-discharge billing statement, with no extraordinary collection actions in the first 120 days.
No state ban found. Federal bureau practice still keeps paid medical collections and collections under $500 off reports, and any medical collection gets a 1-year waiting period before it can appear.