How to apply for Mayo Clinic financial assistance
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit health system with hospitals in Minnesota, Arizona, Florida and Wisconsin. Federal law requires it to have a written policy for reducing or writing off bills by income. Its policy is the Mayo Clinic Financial Assistance Policy. This is what it says.
Free care
200%
of the federal poverty level or below. The bill is written off in full.
Some help up to
400%
of the federal poverty level. Above the free line the policy discounts or caps the bill.
Apply within
240 days
of the first bill, under the policy. Later applications are often still considered.
What that means in 2026 dollars, gross household income per year
| Household | Free care, up to | Some assistance, up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $31,920 | $63,840 |
| 2 people | $43,280 | $86,560 |
| 3 people | $54,640 | $109,280 |
| 4 people | $66,000 | $132,000 |
2026 federal poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and DC (91 FR 1797 (15 January 2026), effective 13 January 2026); each extra person adds $5,680. Alaska and Hawaii use higher tables. Where the policy differs by state, the state line applies, see below.
What the Mayo Clinic Financial Assistance Policy gives at each level
| Household income | What you get | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 200% FPL | Free | All sites |
| Up to 400% FPL | 50% off | 201 to 400% FPL |
“Capped” means the policy limits the bill to the amounts the hospital generally bills insured patients (AGB) rather than naming a percentage. Self-pay patients who qualify are limited to AGB, calculated from Medicare and commercial payments.
Against state law, and against the other systems
Minnesota
Minnesota has no income floor in state law; it requires hospitals to have and publish a policy, so the lines here are Mayo Clinic's own. Statute
Among the systems on this site with Minnesota hospitals, Mayo Clinic's 200% free-care line is level with CommonSpirit Health.
Arizona
Arizona has no state charity care law, so the only requirement is the federal one: a written policy and a cap at amounts generally billed. The lines here are Mayo Clinic's own.
Among the systems on this site with Arizona hospitals, Mayo Clinic's 200% free-care line is level with CommonSpirit Health.
Florida
Florida has no state charity care law, so the only requirement is the federal one: a written policy and a cap at amounts generally billed. The lines here are Mayo Clinic's own.
Among the systems on this site with Florida hospitals, Mayo Clinic's 200% free-care line is below Ascension (250%) and Cleveland Clinic (250%), level with Trinity Health.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin has no state charity care law, so the only requirement is the federal one: a written policy and a cap at amounts generally billed. The lines here are Mayo Clinic's own.
Among the systems on this site with Wisconsin hospitals, Mayo Clinic's 200% free-care line is below Ascension (250%) and Advocate Health (300%).
State law figures come from our state-by-state charity care table, each with its statute. A state minimum is a floor under the hospital's policy, never a ceiling.
The other ways in
Medical hardship
Catastrophic circumstances are reviewed case by case for patients with extreme financial difficulty. Out-of-network insured patients are generally not eligible, except for emergency care or services unique to Mayo.
Without an application
Current Medicaid enrollees receive an automatic 100% adjustment.
With insurance
The policy applies to what you owe after insurance: deductibles, copays and coinsurance. Having a plan does not rule you out.
Check your household against the poverty line
Tell the checker your state, household size and rough income. It tells you your percentage of the federal poverty level, which you can read against the Mayo Clinic lines above, and what the law in your state requires on top. Free, no account, and your answers are not sent to advertising platforms.
Before tax, everyone in the household combined. Policies define the household themselves and the definition can move you a whole row, since a dependent who lives elsewhere may still count.
The calculation runs in your browser. Your income, household size and state are not stored, not put in the address bar, and not sent to an advertising platform. There is no account and this page carries no ad pixels or session recording.
Applying to Mayo Clinic
- 1
Get the application. Apply through Patient Online Services, or by paper application to Mayo Clinic Rochester.
- 2
Gather proof of income for everyone in the household: recent pay stubs, last year's tax return, or a benefits letter. If you have no income, the form will ask you to say so in writing.
- 3
Fill in every line. An incomplete application is the most common reason for a delay, and the hospital has to tell you what is missing rather than deny it outright.
- 4
Send it, keep a copy, and note the date. Ask the billing office to put the account on hold while the application is reviewed; under federal rules they cannot send it to collections during that time.
- 5
If you are turned down, ask for the reason in writing and ask about hardship review. Then check whether your state's law requires more than the hospital's policy.
Financial assistance reduces the bill by income. It does not check whether the bill was right in the first place. For $49, a mediloop specialist reviews the itemized bill and EOB, if available, flags charges to dispute, and prepares a plan for the balance, including what to say to the financial assistance office.
Get the plan for your billThe general guide: how hospital charity care works and how to apply.
People also ask
Does Mayo Clinic have to offer financial assistance?
Yes. As a nonprofit hospital system it must have a written financial assistance policy under section 501(r) of the tax code, tell patients about it, and limit what it charges eligible patients to the amounts it generally bills insured patients. Mayo Clinic's policy is the Mayo Clinic Financial Assistance Policy.
What is the income limit for free care at Mayo Clinic?
In most of its hospitals, a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level qualifies for a 100% write-off under the policy. For a single person in the 48 contiguous states that is about $31,920 a year in 2026; for a family of four about $66,000.
Can I apply for Mayo Clinic financial assistance if I have insurance?
Yes. The policy covers the amounts you owe after insurance (deductibles, copays and coinsurance), subject to the limits described on this page.
How long do I have to apply?
240 days from the first bill under the policy (The later of 240 days after the first bill or 30 days after written notice of collection action. Asset disclosure is required, and applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents (or full-time students on a student visa)). Federal rules also stop the hospital from taking extraordinary collection action for at least 120 days after the first bill, and require it to consider an application received within 240 days.
Where this came from
Read from Mayo Clinic's own published policy documents on 2026-09-14. Nothing on this page comes from a third-party summary.
- Mayo Clinic, Financial assistance
- Mayo Clinic, Financial Assistance Policy, Minnesota (MC5815-03)
- Mayo Clinic, Financial Assistance Policy, Arizona, Florida and Wisconsin (MC5815-65)
What we could not confirm
- Mayo's public web page does not state the income thresholds; they are in the policy PDFs linked above.
- Mayo Clinic Health System regional hospitals may publish additional policy numbers not read here.
This page summarises a hospital policy. Eligibility is decided by the hospital against the full policy and your application; nothing here is a determination that you qualify, and the policy may have changed since we read it. mediloop is not affiliated with Mayo Clinic.