How to apply for Trinity Health financial assistance
Trinity Health is a nonprofit health system (Trinity Health Michigan, Mount Carmel, Loyola Medicine, MercyOne, Saint Alphonsus, Saint Joseph) with hospitals in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Idaho, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Florida. Federal law requires it to have a written policy for reducing or writing off bills by income. Its policy is the Financial Assistance to Patients (Trinity Health Finance Policy No. 1). 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 Financial Assistance to Patients (Trinity Health Finance Policy No. 1) gives at each level
| Household income | What you get | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 200% FPL | Free | Uninsured patients |
| Up to 400% FPL | Capped | Uninsured patients, 201 to 400% FPL: charges reduced so they do not exceed AGB (Medicare look-back rate) |
| Up to 400% FPL | Capped | Insured patients at or below 400% FPL: assistance on copays, deductibles and coinsurance, subject to the insurance contract |
“Capped” means the policy limits the bill to the amounts the hospital generally bills insured patients (AGB) rather than naming a percentage. AGB by look-back method: paid Medicare claims divided by gross charges, per IRC 501(r).
Against state law, and against the other systems
Michigan
Michigan 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 Trinity Health's own.
Ohio
Ohio law (Ohio Rev. Code § 5168.14 (Hospital Care Assurance Program)) requires every hospital to give free care at or below 100% of the poverty level for uninsured patients. Trinity Health's 200% line is above that floor, so the policy is more generous than the state minimum. Statute
Among the systems on this site with Ohio hospitals, Trinity Health's 200% free-care line is below Cleveland Clinic (250%), level with CommonSpirit Health.
Illinois
Illinois law (Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act, 210 ILCS 89/10) requires every hospital to give free care at or below 200% of the poverty level for uninsured patients. Trinity Health's policy sits exactly on that floor. Statute
Among the systems on this site with Illinois hospitals, Trinity Health's 200% free-care line is below Ascension (250%) and Advocate Health (300%).
Iowa
Iowa 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 Trinity Health's own.
Among the systems on this site with Iowa hospitals, Trinity Health's 200% free-care line is level with CommonSpirit Health.
Idaho
Idaho 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 Trinity Health's own.
Oregon
Oregon law (ORS 442.614) requires covered hospitals to give free care at or below 200% of the poverty level for uninsured patients. Trinity Health's policy sits exactly on that floor. Statute
Among the systems on this site with Oregon hospitals, Trinity Health's 200% free-care line is below Providence (300%), level with Kaiser Permanente and CommonSpirit Health.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania 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 Trinity Health's own.
New Jersey
New Jersey law (N.J.A.C. 10:52 subch. 11-13 (Health Care Cost Reduction Act)) requires every hospital to give free care at or below 200% of the poverty level. Trinity Health's policy sits exactly on that floor. Statute
Connecticut
Connecticut law (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-673) requires a discount up to 250% of the poverty level but does not mandate free care, so the free-care line here comes from Trinity Health's own policy, not the state. Statute
Massachusetts
Massachusetts law (Health Safety Net, 101 CMR 613.00) requires every hospital to give free care at or below 300% of the poverty level, which is higher than the 200% line in the policy we read. If Trinity Health's hospital is covered by the statute, the state minimum applies; ask for it by name. Statute
Among the systems on this site with Massachusetts hospitals, Trinity Health's 200% free-care line is more generous than Mass General Brigham (150%).
New York
New York law (N.Y. Public Health Law § 2807-k(9-a)) requires every hospital to give free care at or below 200% of the poverty level. Trinity Health's policy sits exactly on that floor. Statute
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 Trinity Health's own.
Among the systems on this site with Florida hospitals, Trinity Health's 200% free-care line is below Ascension (250%) and Cleveland Clinic (250%), level with Mayo Clinic.
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: when medical expenses for an episode of care exceed 20% of family income, the amount above 20% qualifies for assistance (or a lower state-mandated threshold).
Without an application
A predictive model can grant presumptive eligibility at any point. Loyola lists categories including WIC, SNAP or LIHEAP enrollment, homelessness, and Medicaid-eligible but not enrolled.
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 Trinity Health 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 Trinity Health
- 1
Get the application. The same policy is published by each Trinity Health hospital under its own name. This is the Michigan application; other regions publish their own PDF.
- 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.
Links and numbers
- Trinity Health Patient Business Services: 800-494-5797
- Loyola Medicine (Illinois): 866-404-9382
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 Trinity Health 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. Trinity Health's policy is the Financial Assistance to Patients (Trinity Health Finance Policy No. 1).
What is the income limit for free care at Trinity Health?
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 Trinity Health 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 (Counted from the date of care, not the first bill: the later of 240 days after care or the end of a 30-day appeal period). 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 Trinity Health's own published policy documents on 2026-09-14. Nothing on this page comes from a third-party summary.
- Trinity Health Michigan, Financial assistance
- Mount Carmel (Ohio), Financial Assistance to Patients policy
- Loyola Medicine (Illinois), Financial assistance and charity care policy
What we could not confirm
- Trinity Health operates in more states than listed here; the list covers the hospitals whose policy pages we read.
- Phone numbers are per hospital. The number above is the central business services line named in the Michigan policy.
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 Trinity Health.