UNM Care: How Albuquerque Patients Get UNM Hospital Bills Covered
If you live in Albuquerque or anywhere in Bernalillo or Sandoval County and a UNM Hospital bill is more than you can handle, UNM Care can pay for medically necessary care at UNM Hospital and its clinics for a full year, and it can reach back six months to bills you already have. You don't need insurance, you don't need to be a U.S. citizen, and the income limits are higher than many people expect. Here's how the program works, what it won't pay for, and how to get through the appointment, the paperwork and an appeal.
AT A GLANCE
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What UNM Care is, and what it isn't
UNM Health describes UNM Care and Out-of-County Care as programs that help you pay for health care at UNM Hospital. They aren't insurance.
UNM Care | Out-of-County Care | |
|---|---|---|
Where you must live | Bernalillo County or Sandoval County | Any other New Mexico county |
How long approval lasts | 1 year from the approval date | 6 months from the approval date |
Care before approval | Services in the 6 months before approval | Services in the 6 months before approval |
Renewing | Reapply at the end; UNM says it's quicker and easier | Reapply at the end |
UNM's FAQ says the programs work whether or not you have insurance. If you have coverage through work, Medicare or another plan, UNM Care can help with copays and deductibles for care at UNM Hospital. You don't have to sign up for insurance offered at your job, but UNM recommends it if the coverage is free.
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Do you qualify?
The 2026 income table
UNM's "Find Out If You Qualify" sheet (revised April 2026) lists the highest gross household monthly income for each household size. Any income from $0 up to that figure qualifies. The yearly column is our own math (the monthly figure times 12), shown to make it easier to compare.
Household size | Maximum gross monthly income | About the same per year |
|---|---|---|
1 | $3,990 | $47,880 |
2 | $5,410 | $64,920 |
3 | $6,830 | $81,960 |
4 | $8,250 | $99,000 |
5 | $9,670 | $116,040 |
6 | $11,090 | $133,080 |
7 | $12,510 | $150,120 |
8 | $13,930 | $167,160 |
For more than eight people, add $1,420 for each extra person.
"Gross" means before taxes and deductions. Count wages plus benefits such as unemployment, Social Security, veterans benefits and Bureau of Indian Affairs payments, for everyone in the household.
Who counts in your household
UNM's application handout defines a household this way:
If the patient is 18 or older: the patient, a spouse, and each person the patient expects to claim as a tax dependent. For these programs, a dependent must live with you to be counted.
If the patient is under 18: the patient, their parents or guardians, and each person the parents or guardians expect to claim as a tax dependent.
Automatic income approval
You already meet the income rule if you currently get New Mexico SNAP, TANF or WIC. In that case you show proof of the benefit instead of pay stubs. A letter from the Human Services Department, a proof-of-benefits document or a screenshot from the YES NM website will work. People who are homeless or in bankruptcy also meet the income rule without income documents. UNM may ask for a caseworker letter or court papers.
The $30,000 savings limit
Your checking, savings and investment accounts (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs) can't total more than $30,000. UNM says it won't ask you to cash out a retirement fund, bonds or CDs to pay medical bills. However, money you already cashed out during the year, or an investment that matured during the year, is counted as income. Your home, car and retirement fund aren't counted, and you don't need papers for them.
Your immigration status is not a part of our decision process to approve or deny any applicant. (UNM Care and Out-of-County Care FAQ)
Immigration status
You don't need to be a U.S. citizen, and UNM doesn't ask for proof of status. The FAQ points to a 2021 New Mexico law (House Bill 112) under which noncitizens can apply for programs like this one and can't be turned away because of their status. UNM says it won't record immigration status in your application. It also says UNM Care and Out-of-County Care aren't counted as benefits under the federal public charge test.
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What's covered, and what isn't
Covered services are the medically necessary ones: supplies, services, treatments and procedures needed to diagnose or treat your condition or keep you healthy. Your providers decide what's medically necessary. Some prescriptions are covered if they're filled at a UNM Hospital pharmacy. Ask your provider whether your medicine is one of them.
UNM's FAQ lists these exclusions:
prescriptions filled at pharmacies outside UNM Hospital;
cosmetic (plastic) surgery;
vasectomy reversal, elective abortion, and testing or treatment for infertility;
ambulance services; and
durable medical equipment, such as beds, canes or oxygen tanks, bought outside UNM Hospital.
UNM Hospital's Medical Director and Chief Medical Officer can make exceptions to this list.
Clinics with "UNM" in the name that aren't included
The programs pay only for care at UNM Hospital and its clinics. The FAQ names several UNM Medical Group clinics that aren't part of UNM Hospital and aren't covered, even though some carry the UNM name:
Truman Health Clinic
Center for Development and Disability
Center for Reproductive Health
UNM Center for Life
UNM Health Grande Primary Care Clinic
DNI Dialysis Clinic
Care at any other hospital or clinic isn't covered either.
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How to apply
You can't download a form and mail it in. Every applicant is assigned a Financial Services Representative who fills out the application with you, in person or over the phone.
APPLY FOR UNM CARE STEP BY STEP
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The main Financial Assistance office is at 1131 University Blvd NE, Suite D, Albuquerque, NM 87102. UNM Main Hospital, the Cancer Center and Sandoval Regional Medical Center also have financial service offices. Call 505-272-2521 for their hours.
Before your appointment
☐ One ID for each household member, such as a passport from any country, birth certificate, photo ID, Social Security card, Certificate of Indian Blood, school or day care records, or a visa (expired is fine)
☐ One document with your name and address, such as a utility bill, lease, car insurance, pay stub or tax return
☐ Proof of monthly income for everyone, such as pay stubs, a tax return, an employer letter, direct deposits, benefit letters or self-employment books
☐ Recent statements for every checking, savings and investment account
☐ Your SNAP, TANF or WIC letter or a YES NM screenshot, if you have one
If you're missing paperwork
UNM says to tell your representative and it will work with you on alternatives. It offers three ready-made options:
Employment verification letter. Your employer fills in UNM's sample letter with your start date and pay. The letter must include the writer's name, title, phone or email and signature.
Income form. If you're paid in cash or self-employed, you record six months of earnings and business costs, and the form works out your six-month average.
Agency attestation letter. A caseworker, community health worker, health care provider or community agency who knows you can confirm your identity or where you live.
If you have no income at all, you can write a statement saying so. Explain how you pay for food, housing and transportation. Letters can be emailed to financialassistance@salud.unm.edu or mailed to UNM Financial Assistance at 1131 University Blvd, Suite D, Albuquerque, NM 87102.
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Waiting, approval and old bills
You can keep getting care at UNM Hospital and its clinics while you wait. If you're approved, those bills are covered. If you're denied, you're responsible for them unless an appeal succeeds.
Approval also reaches back. Medically necessary care at UNM Hospital or its clinics in the six months before approval can be covered. If you already have UNM bills, apply soon so fewer of them fall outside that window.
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If you're denied: the appeal
A denial letter explains the reason. You can appeal if, for example, you expect large bills in the coming year that you can't afford or you think UNM missed something.
First appeal. Fill out the Appeal Request Form, or answer its questions on plain paper. Send it within 45 days of the denial, by email to FinancialAssistance@salud.unm.edu or to your representative. An Appeal Committee reviews it and answers within 30 days of receiving it.
Executive appeal. If the first appeal is denied, the second letter lets you ask for review by the Executive Appeals Committee. Call your representative at 505-272-2521 to request it. You can mail anything new to the Executive Appeals Committee, 1131 University N.E. Suite D, Albuquerque, NM 87102. You'll get a written answer.
Bills stay your responsibility while an appeal is under review. You can call 505-272-2521 to set up payment arrangements in the meantime.
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Other help at UNM Health
Option | Who it's for | Key details |
|---|---|---|
Self-pay discount | Uninsured New Mexico residents who don't qualify for insurance or financial assistance | Applied automatically. It cuts hospital and physician charges by 45%, except paid-up-front services as defined by your clinic. |
Payment plans | Anyone with an out-of-pocket balance | UNM Hospital 505-272-2521; Sandoval Regional Medical Center 505-994-7157; UNM Cancer Center 505-925-6617. The FAQ says plans don't charge interest. |
Insurance enrollment help | People who may qualify for coverage | Staff help with Turquoise Care (Medicaid), the BeWellNM exchange and the New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool. Call 505-272-2521. |
Emergency Medical Services for Non-Citizens (EMSNC) | Immigrants who can't get Medicaid because of their status | Pays for emergency care, including labor and delivery. Apply within 3 months of the service. No SSN, birth certificate or proof of status is needed. |
Cost estimates | Anyone planning care | Call 505-925-0900, or use UNM's online estimate tool. |
UNM's financial assistance page adds that the self-pay discount and financial assistance don't apply when your care is covered by third-party liability insurance, auto insurance or medical payments coverage.
Watch for more than one bill
Care at UNM Health usually brings two bills: one from UNM Hospitals and one from UNM Medical Group, Inc. for physician charges. Treatment at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center adds a third. UNM says UNM Medical Group doesn't offer payment plans, so call the number on that bill to talk about it. Our guide to hospital bill errors shows what to check line by line.
Related guides
Official sources
Last checked: October 30, 2026. Facts come from UNM Health's financial assistance and billing pages and its UNM Care handouts: the FAQ, the enrollment flyer and application questions (updated August 2026), the qualifying sheet (April 2026), and the income, attestation and appeal forms.
Eligibility, covered services and income limits are set by UNM Hospital and can change. Confirm your situation with UNM Patient Financial Services at 505-272-2521 before you rely on coverage.
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