Where the numbers come from
Every income level on this site comes from a hospital's own policy, its IRS filing, a state program, or a federal rule. Each page says which one and links to it.
Three kinds of data, in order of trust
Each hospital shows the best source we have for it.
- 1First choice
Verified from the hospital's policy
We read the hospital's current written policy. Each fact quotes the line it came from, links to it, and shows the date we checked.
- 2Second choice
From the hospital's IRS filing
Nonprofit hospitals report their free care and discount levels on Schedule H of IRS Form 990. We show the tax year. A filing can be two or more years old, so the policy may have changed. In November 2026 we compared filings with 95 policies we had read ourselves, all in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. The free care level matched for 83 of them. Of the 12 that differed, five had changed owners since the filing.
- 3Third choice
Only the legal baseline
We have not found the hospital's income levels yet. We say what federal law requires, such as a written policy at every nonprofit hospital, and point you to the billing office. These pages are hidden from search results until they have real numbers.
Federal health center rules require a sliding fee at or below 200% of the poverty level. Health center pages use that rule unless we have checked the center's own policy.
What hospitals offer a family of three
Yearly household income before taxes, using the 2026 federal poverty guidelines. At or below the first number, care is free. At or below the second, it is discounted.
What hospitals offer a family of three in 2026
Yearly household income limits.
| Hospital | Free care up to | Discount up to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterMA | $109,280 | None listed | Verified policy, checked Nov 10, 2026 |
| Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPA | $109,280 | None listed | Verified policy, checked Nov 10, 2026 |
| Landmark Medical CenterRI | $95,620 | $122,940 | Verified policy, checked Nov 10, 2026 |
| Rhode Island HospitalRI | $54,640 | $81,960 | Verified policy, checked Nov 10, 2026 |
| Massachusetts General HospitalMA | $40,980 | $81,960 | Verified policy, checked Nov 10, 2026 |
| Temple University HospitalPA | $27,320 | $109,280 | Verified policy, checked Nov 10, 2026 |
Six of the hospitals we have read ourselves. Open a hospital to see every household size. The hospital makes the final decision.
Where the facts come from
- The list of hospitals comes from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
- The list of health centers comes from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
- Income levels come from each hospital's financial assistance policy on its own website, or from the Schedule H of its IRS Form 990.
- State programs and laws come from state government websites.
- Dollar amounts use the 2026 federal poverty guidelines (source).
Sites that collect hospital policies can help us find a policy's address. We never use them as the source of a fact.
How often we check
Each verified page shows the date we last checked it. Look at that date before you rely on a page. We recheck a page when a hospital or a reader tells us something changed, and we update IRS filing data as new filings come out.
What we do not do
We never say you qualify. We say you are likely eligible, because the hospital makes the final decision. We never tell anyone to drop insurance. Financial assistance covers bills from one hospital only.
The screener on the home page runs on your device. It does not send or save your income or household size.
We count page views with Google Analytics and PostHog to learn which pages people use. They see the page address, never your answers. We do not record what you type or click.
Report an error
Email [email protected] with the page address and a link to where you saw the right answer. Every hospital and health center page also has a "Tell us" link, and every page has a "Report a wrong number" link at the bottom.