Need Help Paying Medical Bills? 9 Programs and Organizations That Offer Assistance
Key takeaways:
Government programs, charity organizations, and certain grants can help you pay healthcare costs or cover medical bills.
Unpaid medical bills can become overwhelming, but there are options available beyond ignoring the debt or filing for bankruptcy.
Even if you feel shy or ashamed, try to ask for help resolving your medical debt.
Table of contents
An “unexpected medical bill” combines three components many people strongly dislike: uncertainty, healthcare, and debt. And, unfortunately, it’s easy to get caught off guard by a medical bill because of a health emergency and even after a planned procedure. Even with insurance, your out-of-pocket costs can be unexpectedly high if you receive care from an out-of-network healthcare professional or are prescribed a costly medication.
If you face a medical bill your budget can’t handle, there’s help available through financial assistance programs. Many hospital systems have financial assistance programs along with associated foundations or nonprofits that also help patients pay medical bills. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) maintains a state-by-state list of government-funded benefits and financial help resources. Additionally, there are nonprofit organizations that provide assistance for specific health conditions, such as cancer.
9 organizations and programs that help pay medical bills
Numerous organizations and charities provide financial assistance for medical bills, including these nine:
HealthWell Foundation helps underinsured people with chronic or life-altering diseases such as cancer.
PAN Foundation provides financial assistance to underinsured people to cover copays, health insurance premiums, and transportation costs related to treatment.
CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation offers copay assistance for prescribed treatments for people with cancer.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Co-Pay Assistance Program helps with out-of-pocket costs for people with health insurance and a blood cancer diagnosis.
United Healthcare Children’s Foundation provides grants to cover medical expenses that are not covered — or not fully covered — for children whose primary health insurance coverage is provided by a commercial plan.
NeedyMeds helps people find free healthcare and connect with programs that can lower the costs of prescription medications. You may be able to find a patient assistance program or discount card, coupon, or rebate to help with your prescriptions.
RxAssist is a portal that can help you locate patient assistance programs.
Medicare Extra Help is for people with Medicare Part D who meet income and resource requirements. This program reduces the cost of coverage — meaning lower monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and copays — and covers most out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications.
State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs, also known as SPAPs, are run by some states and territories to help pay prescription medications costs for people with limited financial resources. SPAPs mainly assist older adults and eligibility requirements vary by program.
Prescription Savings Are Just the Beginning
See what other benefits you qualify for—from cashback cards to cheaper insurance.
A healthcare professional or patient advocate may be able to help you navigate these options based on your health and financial circumstances. The patient services department of your local hospital also may be able to help you find assistance for medical bills.
Do all hospitals have their own financial assistance programs?
Some hospitals have financial assistance programs, and others do not. Under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), all nonprofit hospitals are required to offer financial assistance to their patients. This is typically called indigent care or charity care.
Depending on where you live, your state may require all hospitals to help patients with medical bills. Eligibility requirements vary, so it is important to ask about the guidelines for the facility where you will be receiving care or have received care.
Several states have adopted strong financial assistance policies for hospitals, requiring them to offer discounted or free care for people with low or sometimes moderate incomes. Those states include:
California
Connecticut
Illinois
Maine
Maryland
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
Rhode Island
Washington
The mandates often apply to all hospitals, but in some cases cover only nonprofit, publicly funded, rural, or critical-access hospitals.
Medical debt can affect your credit score. Unpaid medical debt of $500 or more can appear on your credit report and negatively impact your credit score.
Understanding your rights: State and federal laws protect you from debt collection practices that are abusive, unfair, or deceptive — such as harassment on the telephone.
Bankruptcy to clear medical bills: As a last resort, you may opt to file bankruptcy for medical debts that liquidates your assets or reorganizes what you owe into a payment plan.
How do you know if you are eligible for Medicaid?
Medicaid is a joint state and federal health insurance program for people with low incomes. That means you will need to contact your state or territory Medicaid program to find out if you’re eligible for coverage. There are 56 Medicaid programs that each have their own income requirements and other qualifications. There is a Medicaid program in every state, Washington, D.C., and these five territories:
American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
How do pharmaceutical company patient assistance programs work?
Many people struggle to afford medications. Patient assistance programs are typically sponsored by pharmaceutical manufacturers. They provide financial assistance, coupons, or discounts to help consumers access medications for free or at a low cost. Benefits vary widely.
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Though the eligibility and enrollment process is unique to each program, participants typically must be permanent, legal U.S. residents, provide proof of being uninsured or having insurance that doesn’t cover their medication, and meet certain income requirements. Most programs also will require your prescriber to complete a form, and there may be limits on how much medication you can get or how long you can participate.
A few patient assistance programs for medications include:
What can you do to lower the costs of healthcare?
There are several potential ways to reduce your out-of-pocket healthcare costs:
GoodRx is a good place to start for help saving money on prescription medications.
Ask about healthcare costs upfront, if possible.
During open enrollment periods, you may be able to save on health insurance premiums if you have coverage through an ACA marketplace or a Medicare Advantage plan. In either case, your monthly costs depend on the plan you select. But be careful: A plan with a less-expensive premium may require higher deductibles and other costs that may not make switching plans financially worthwhile.
If you don’t need emergency care, skip the hospital ER and see your regular healthcare professional, if you have one. If you can’t get an appointment quickly, consider going to an urgent care center, which is usually less costly and time-consuming than going to the ER.
If you have insurance, use in-network healthcare professionals and facilities as much as possible. They will charge you negotiated rates, which are usually lower.
If you have a chronic or complex medical condition, such as diabetes, consider asking your health plan for a case manager or patient advocate to get the most out of your benefits.
What should you do if you get a medical bill you can’t afford?
Don’t panic if you receive a medical bill you can’t afford. Worry over medical debt can affect your health negatively. Instead, take these steps to address a large medical bill:
Check that the charges are accurate on all items and services.
Contact your healthcare professional or healthcare facility to ask for a discount or a payment plan.
Many hospitals offer financial assistance programs. Find out if you qualify for help, such as debt forgiveness.
Find out if you’re eligible for assistance through local, state, or federal government programs.
Frequently asked questions
Unpaid medical debt of $500 or more can appear as a negative item on your credit report. But even if your bill goes to collections, there is a 1-year grace period before the debt appears on your credit report with Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax.
Debt forgiveness, also known as debt cancellation, happens when a creditor is no longer pursuing collection of unpaid debt. This typically doesn’t affect your credit score, but the forgiven amount could be reported to the IRS and taxed as income. A debt settlement or paying less than what’s owed can also impact your credit rating, and the unpaid amount may be reported as income for tax purposes.
If you owe money to a hospital or healthcare professional, you may qualify for medical bill debt forgiveness. Eligibility is typically based on income, family size, and other factors. Ask about debt forgiveness even if you think your income is too high for you to qualify.
Typically, medical debt is not reported to a credit bureau if the bill remains with the original service provider. If you pay nothing or don’t pay enough, the bill could be sent to a collections agency. If the debt is $500 or more, it will typically show up on your credit report 1 year after it’s reported to the credit bureaus if it remains unpaid. It could then remain on your report for 7 years.
The bottom line
Medical bills can be overwhelming — especially when they are unexpected. But there are options beyond pretending medical bills don’t exist or bankruptcy.
Unpaid medical debt of $500 or more can affect your credit score and cause additional stress, so be proactive by discussing costs upfront with healthcare professionals and hospitals. If your bills are larger than you can handle, ask for help. Find out if you’re eligible for relief through a hospital financial assistance program, patient assistance programs from pharmaceutical companies, or foundations or other nonprofit groups.
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References
Axelton, K. (2023). Can medical bills hurt your credit? Experian.
CancerCare. (n.d.). CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation.
Gravier, E. (2021). Medical debt remains on your credit report for 7 years — Here’s what that means for your credit score. CNBC Select.
HealthCare.gov. (n.d.). Affordable Care Act (ACA).
HealthWell Foundation. (n.d.). What we do.
Internal Revenue Service. (2024). Topic no. 431, canceled debt – is it taxable or not?
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. (n.d.). Co-pay assistance program.
Luthi, B. (2024). What is debt cancellation? Experian.
McSpadden, J. (2024). A new era for State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs that serve older adults. AARP.
Medicare Interactive. (2025). SPAP basics.
Stark, A. B. (2020). An ounce of prevention: A review of hospital financial assistance policies in the states. National Consumer Law Center.
USA.gov. (n.d.). Find government benefits and financial help.
Zinn, D., et al. (2025). Who qualifies for debt forgiveness? Bankrate.
