Medical bills are expensive, and they can pile up fast. In June, 112,000 Hoosiers learned their medical debt would be erased because of nonprofits and an anonymous donor.
Many people are still struggling to pay their medical bills. Hospitals and clinics in Indianapolis have programs to help, and Mirror Indy is sharing a series of how to get that help at each hospital. First, we explained the two options to get help paying your bills at Eskenazi Health.
At IU Health, uninsured patients get a discount and all patients in need can apply for the financial assistance program. The policy, a one-page summary of it and the financial assistance application are available in English, Arabic, Spanish, Chin, Burmese, Hakha, Karen and Mandarin.
Follow along as we write about more hospitals in Indy.
This is part of a series of stories on how Indianapolis hospitals can help patients pay their medical bills. Here are guides to financial aid in the other Indianapolis hospital systems.
The first step: Meet with a financial counselor
IU Health’s patient financial counselors will guide you through your options for financial aid. Meeting with a counselor is free.
The 30-minute appointment can be in-person or over the phone. Counselors ask about things like annual income and proof of Indiana residency, to determine if you qualify for state and federal programs.
The services are open to immigrants who qualify as Indiana residents but aren’t U.S. citizens.
How to set up an appointment with an IU Health financial counselor
To set up an appointment, call 888-531-3004, email financialcounseling@iuhealth.org or fill out the online contact form.
Financial counselors are available by phone 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. They can answer questions about what documents to bring or the application process.
Uninsured patients get discounted rates
Uninsured patients at IU Health locations in Indianapolis get a 70.18% discount on services, which is calculated to bring their total closer to what an insured patient would typically pay. This discount is automatically applied, so you don’t have to apply.
The discount is calculated for each IU Health location, and you can find the amounts when you scroll to the bottom of the main financial assistance page.
If you still need help paying your bill, you can apply for more financial assistance.
If you meet federal poverty levels, you can get up to 100% off your bill.
Anyone – with or without insurance – who is an Indiana resident and meets federal poverty levels can apply for financial assistance and receive up to 100% off their bill.
Once you are approved for financial assistance, you don’t need to reapply until the next calendar year.
Here’s how to check if your household meets federal poverty levels.
If you earn above federal poverty levels, you can still get a discount.
If your medical procedure costs more than 5% of your annual household income, you can apply for a discount. Then, your bill will be lowered to be equal to 5% of your annual income.
Here’s an example: Let’s say your household earns $50,000 a year. If your procedure costs more than $2,500 (which is 5% of your annual income), you can ask for your bill to be reduced to $2,500. As long as you continue to qualify, you can get this discount as many times as you need.
This is an option for people who do or do not have insurance.
If you qualify for these programs, you don’t have to apply for IU Health’s financial assistance
- Medicaid
- Indiana Children’s Special Health Care Services
- Healthy Indiana Plan
- Patients who are awarded Hospital Presumptive Eligibility
- Patients approved for the Eskenazi Health Advantage program
- A state or federal program that verifies the patient or guarantor’s gross household income meets the federal poverty level income threshold, like SNAP or TANIF.
Mirror Indy reporter Sophie Young covers services and resources. Contact her at sophie.young@mirrorindy.org.
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