Grady Hospital Bill Help 2026–27: Financial Assistance for Fulton and DeKalb, Copays and How to Apply
Grady Memorial Hospital is Atlanta's public safety-net hospital, and its Financial Assistance Program is one of the more generous in the region. If you live in Fulton or DeKalb County and your household income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a Grady bill can be cut down to a flat copay, often $20 to $100 for a typical visit.
Grady's policy also says it doesn't sue patients over medical debt, doesn't report it to credit bureaus and doesn't sell it to debt buyers. If you've been ignoring a Grady bill out of fear, it's worth opening.
This guide explains who qualifies, what the copays are, how the automatic screening works, what documents to bring, and what to do if you live outside Fulton and DeKalb.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: Grady Health System's Financial Assistance Program policy (approved by Grady's CFO on March 20, 2026), Grady's Financial Assistance Program page, and Grady's "Financial Assistance Program Copays" sheet. The copay sheet isn't dated, so confirm current amounts with a Grady financial counselor.
The Short Version
Who qualifies: Fulton and DeKalb County residents with household income at or below 400% of poverty. Anyone approved for Medicaid also qualifies.
Living somewhere else? You can still get help with emergency care, any hospital stay that follows from it, and related follow-up care.
What you pay: a flat copay. In Fulton, that's $20 for most outpatient services, $100 for the ER and $200 for a hospital stay at incomes up to 250% of poverty. DeKalb copays run $10 to $50 higher.
No copay: if you're homeless under HUD's definition.
Apply: through MyChart (search "Financial Assistance"), by mail, by fax at 404-489-6864, or in person at a Financial Counseling office.
Financial counselors: 404-616-6920, option 1, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Billing questions and payment plans: Patient Financial Services, 404-616-2991, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Deadline: apply before care or within 240 days of your first bill after discharge.
Who Qualifies
Fulton and DeKalb Residents
Grady's policy says residents of Fulton and DeKalb Counties with household incomes at or below 400% of the federal poverty level are eligible. It sorts patients into two tiers:
Tier 1: income up to 250% of poverty
Tier 2: income from 251% to 400% of poverty
Both tiers pay copays rather than full charges. Tier 2 copays are somewhat higher.
Medicaid: everyone approved for Medicaid counts as qualified for financial assistance.
Medicare: Grady screens Medicare patients for help with what Medicare leaves to them, including deductibles, coinsurance and services it doesn't cover.
Homelessness: patients who meet HUD's definition of homelessness can get assistance with no copay. That includes people living in a shelter, a car or another place not meant for sleeping. A letter from a shelter on its letterhead counts as proof.
People Living Outside Fulton and DeKalb
If you live in Cobb, Clayton, Gwinnett or anywhere else, the policy says you may still qualify for help with:
Emergency services
A hospital admission that follows an emergency visit
Follow-up care connected to that emergency or hospital stay
But for non-emergency care, Grady's program page says patients from outside Fulton and DeKalb must pay in full before being seen for non-emergency or non-specialty outpatient care. Grady still encourages every uninsured patient to apply so the correct discount gets applied.
What Isn't Covered
The policy excludes:
Cosmetic or elective plastic surgery
Patients in the U.S. on a visitor visa (such as B-1/B-2)
Accounts with unresolved insurance or third-party liability, such as a pending car-accident claim
You also have to use other coverage first. If you have insurance, or you qualify for Medicaid, Medicare, a Medicare Savings Program, Cancer State Aid or the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program, Grady requires you to apply for and use those benefits. The policy says Grady will help you apply.
What You'll Pay: The Copay Chart
These copays come from Grady's "Financial Assistance Program Copays" sheet. Fulton and DeKalb have separate rates.
| Service | Fulton, up to 250% FPL | Fulton, 251–400% FPL | DeKalb, up to 250% FPL | DeKalb, 251–400% FPL | |---|---|---|---|---| | Outpatient (simple lab, mammogram and X-ray have no copay) | $20 | $40 | $30 | $50 | | Series services: IV chemotherapy, radiation oncology, physical, occupational and speech therapy | $40/month | $80/month | $50/month | $90/month | | Ambulatory surgery, sleep study, interventional radiology, cath lab, CT, MRI | $60 | $80 | $70 | $90 | | Emergency and observation | $100 | $120 | $110 | $130 | | Inpatient stay | $200 | $300 | $250 | $350 |
The sheet uses the same copay for 0–138%, 139–200% and 201–250% of poverty, so the table combines those levels.
Why this matters: an uninsured ER visit can easily cost thousands of dollars. Under the program, a Fulton resident at Tier 1 would owe $100.
The policy also promises that no eligible patient pays more than the "Amount Generally Billed," meaning what Medicare and private insurers typically pay for emergency or medically necessary care. You can ask for the calculation in writing.
Automatic Screening
You may already be approved without knowing it. Under the policy:
At registration, Grady uses third-party software to estimate your income level from your address and other data.
If the estimate puts you at 0–400% of poverty, you're automatically qualified for the matching discount.
If it can't decide, for example because of a missing Social Security number, you can ask Grady to run it again or file a regular application.
At billing, Grady runs the check again for any account that doesn't have a result yet.
If you weren't placed at the best level: the policy says your first statement will tell you that you didn't get the top discount and how to ask for a review. If your real income is lower than the estimate, apply manually with documents.
How to Apply
Online: log in to MyChart, search for "Financial Assistance" and fill out the form. You can upload documents there.
By mail: print the application from Grady's Financial Assistance page and send it to: Grady Memorial Hospital, Attn: Financial Assistance Program, 80 Jesse Hill Jr. Dr. SE, PO Box 26071, Atlanta, GA 30303
By fax: 404-489-6864
In person: visit the Financial Counseling Department at the Patient Service Center on the main hospital lobby level, or at a Grady neighborhood health center. The policy says walk-ins are welcome, and staff will give you an application and help you fill it out.
For a mail-in packet or help by phone: call 404-616-6920 and press 1 for a Patient Financial Counselor. They're available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Response time: the policy says a financial counselor will contact you within 24 hours after Grady receives your completed application and all required documents. If something's missing, Grady will send you a written list of what it still needs.
Documents to Bring
1. Proof of identity. Original or certified copies of one of these:
A Georgia driver's license or state ID, any consular ID, a credit card with your photo, or a school photo ID
A visa, resident alien card or other U.S. immigration document
2. Proof of residency. One to three documents showing your street address for at least 30 days. A PO box or junk mail won't count. Examples:
Utility bills (power, gas, water or phone)
A lease or a rent receipt
A food stamp (SNAP) letter
A current voter registration card
Bank, credit card or mortgage statements, IRS or Medicaid letters, school letters, cable bills, or pay stubs that show your address
3. Proof of income. Whatever applies to you:
One to three current pay stubs for you and your spouse
This year's Social Security letter
Unemployment claim records, or recent bank statements if you're living off savings
A letter from your employer on company letterhead showing pay rate, pay per period and how often you're paid
Award letters for unemployment, Medicaid, disability, workers' comp, general assistance or retirement benefits
A shelter letter or other proof of homelessness
Last year's tax return
4. Proof of dependents. One of these:
Your most recent tax return
Custody or guardianship papers
Birth certificates for each child 18 or younger
How Long Approval Lasts
Past bills: assistance can be applied to qualifying care from up to 240 days before your application date.
Future care: approval usually lasts 6 to 12 months, depending on your situation. You'll need to reapply with updated information when it ends.
If your finances change significantly, Grady can reassess your eligibility.
Grady Won't Sue You or Damage Your Credit
Under the policy, Grady does not take what federal rules call "extraordinary collection actions" over self-pay balances for emergency or medically necessary care. That applies to Grady and to collection agencies working for it. Specifically, Grady doesn't:
Report the debt to credit bureaus
Sue you or garnish your wages
Deny medically necessary care or demand prepayment because of an unpaid balance
Sell your debt to anyone else
That still leaves you owing the bill. But it means you have time to apply for assistance and to set up a payment plan through Patient Financial Services at 404-616-2991.
Help Keeping Your Insurance During a Crisis
Few people know about this part of the policy. After a catastrophic illness or injury, such as a hospital stay of 10 days or more or repeated stays that keep you from working, Grady may pay your insurance premiums directly to your insurer for a while. To qualify, you have to be unable to work because of your condition, be at risk of losing coverage for nonpayment, and meet the program's other requirements. Grady decides case by case, so ask a financial counselor.
Children's at Hughes Spalding
Children's at Hughes Spalding is covered by Grady's policy but has its own financial counseling team:
Phone: 404-785-5060
Email: financialcounselingdept@choa.org
In person or by mail: 35 Jesse Hill Jr. Dr. SE, Atlanta, GA 30303, Attn: Financial Assistance Program
A Step-by-Step Plan
Open the bill. Look at your first statement for a note about your discount level.
If no discount was applied, or your income is lower than Grady estimated, gather the documents above.
Apply through MyChart, or call 404-616-6920, option 1, to get help or a mail-in packet.
If you might qualify for Medicaid or Medicare, apply. Grady requires it and will help.
Once you're approved, put a reminder in your calendar 6 months out so you can reapply before it lapses.
For any remaining balance, call 404-616-2991 to set up a payment plan.
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