Cooper Green Mercy Health: How Jefferson County's Health First Program Lowers Your Costs
Cooper Green Mercy Health is Birmingham's outpatient clinic for Jefferson County residents, run as a UAB Health System affiliate with a mission to treat people regardless of ability to pay. Its Health First program cuts copays for low-income patients, and enrolled members also get free parking, rides to appointments and help with prescriptions. Here's how to qualify, what to bring and which numbers to call.
AT A GLANCE
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What Cooper Green is
Cooper Green's original building opened in 1972, designed for inpatient and emergency care. It became a multi-specialty outpatient clinic in 2013, and in 2020 a UAB Medicine-led health authority took over daily operations from the county. On December 16, 2024, it moved into a new five-story building on the site of its old parking deck.
The building houses primary care, specialty clinics, urgent care, a lab, imaging with an MRI suite, mammograms, optometry, a dental clinic, physical, occupational and speech therapy, and a retail pharmacy. UAB says Cooper Green enrolled more than 2,100 new patients in 2025 and now has over 8,000 members.
It's an outpatient clinic, so there are no hospital stays here. For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
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Who can enroll
Cooper Green's enrollment page sets three rules:
You're at least 18 years old.
You've lived in Alabama for at least 1 year.
You've lived in Jefferson County for at least 30 days.
Its documents sheet says the Health First Program pays for care for county residents who are uninsured, underinsured or have no means to pay. Having Medicare, Medicaid or another plan doesn't shut you out. Cooper Green bills those plans, and you may still qualify for help with the rest.
How income is judged
Cooper Green doesn't post an income table or a copay schedule online. The enrollment page says reduced copays are based on income and that the Enrollment Office on the first floor has the details.
One change is worth knowing. In a January 2024 announcement, UAB said the Jefferson County Commission approved counting only the income of the person enrolling, not the whole household's. Under that rule, UAB said, someone making $29,160 a year or less met the criteria for low- or no-cost plans. That figure is almost three years old, so ask the Enrollment Office for the current one.
Our example: an adult living with a working sibling earns $1,900 a month, or $22,800 a year. Under the 2024 rule, only that $22,800 counts, not the sibling's paycheck. That's under the 2024 line, but the Enrollment Office makes the final call.
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Hours and phone numbers
The homepage lists these weekday hours. Everything is closed Saturday and Sunday.
Service | Monday to Friday | Appointment? |
|---|---|---|
Primary care clinics | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Appointment only |
Specialty clinics | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Appointment only |
Urgent care | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. | No appointment needed |
Pharmacy | 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | No appointment needed |
Radiology | 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Appointment only |
Oncology | 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Appointment only |
Enrollment | 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Appointment only |
The enrollment page and the documents sheet both give Enrollment hours of 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., half an hour later than the table. Call before you go late in the day.
Need | Number |
|---|---|
Main line | 205-930-3200 |
Enrollment appointment or document questions | 205-930-3377 |
Appointment Center (see your provider or get one assigned) | 205-930-3350 |
Rides to appointments | 205-930-3392 or 205-757-8419 |
Resource Center | 205-930-3326 |
Social work and counseling | 205-930-3255 |
Wheelchair help from the parking deck | 205-930-3400 |
In late October 2026, the homepage warned of longer phone waits, especially for ride requests, because much of the scheduling team was at an off-site event. It said normal scheduling would resume the first week of November.
Urgent care is open to everyone
You don't have to be enrolled or live in Jefferson County to use Cooper Green Urgent Care. It's open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with no appointment.
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How to enroll
Book an enrollment appointment. Call 205-930-3377. The documents sheet also mentions 205-930-3350, which is the main Appointment Center, but the enrollment page and the sheet's contact box both use 3377.
Or start online. The enrollment page links to an online enrollment and re-enrollment application. UAB says you can upload your documents there.
Gather your papers from the list below.
Go to the Enrollment Office on the first floor at 1509 6th Avenue South.
Then book care. Once you're enrolled, call the Appointment Center at 205-930-3350 to see a provider or have one assigned.
Documents to bring
The documents sheet lists:
Current insurance card, if you have one
Current Alabama-issued ID
Social Security card
Proof of 1 year of Alabama residency
Official mail from the last 30 days. Personal mail isn't accepted.
Proof of income, such as check stubs or tax transcripts
Current SSI or SSDI award letter
Pension or retirement income
Your current SNAP notice, if you get SNAP
Birth certificates for dependent children
Two more rules: letters of support aren't accepted, and Shelter Continuum Cards are welcome. If you're homeless and have one, bring it.
Read the application before you sign
The paper Health First application (marked revised January 2021) asks about your household, employer, spouse and any insurance. By signing, you allow Cooper Green to check what you report, including running credit checks, contacting references and calling your employer. You also agree that if you give false information, you'll owe all charges, plus court costs and attorney fees. Be accurate, and bring proof for every income source you list.
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Free medications through PAP
Cooper Green's Prescription Assistance Program lets patients who have trouble paying get their medications at no charge. A patient service coordinator applies for you. The current list includes Eliquis, Jardiance, Ozempic and several insulins. You need a prescription from a Cooper Green provider.
Get the form: ask at any clinic front desk for the PAP consent form.
Turn it in: Room 3008 on the third floor, or the drop box, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Add income proof, even if you have none: an SSA award letter from this year or last, your last two pay stubs, or a tax return or W-2.
Pick up with ID. Some items, such as inhalers, can be mailed.
Don't wait too long. Medicines left more than 30 business days are thrown out or sent back.
Refill voicemail is 205-930-3570. The PAP coordinator is at 205-930-3203 or papstaff@uabmc.edu.
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Rides, parking and bus passes
Rides. Cooper Green offers rides to its own appointments, to outside appointments it referred you to, and to your preferred pharmacy. Call 205-930-3392 or 205-757-8419 at least five business days ahead, with a confirmed appointment. You'll be picked up an hour before your appointment and an hour after it for the trip home.
The rules are strict. You lose ride access if you cancel three times, cancel less than 24 hours ahead, miss a pickup, skip the ride home, aren't ready on time, or misbehave.
Parking. Enrolled patients park free on the deck's first floor (enter from 15th Street South near 7th Avenue South). Get your ticket stamped inside, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., when you're ready to leave. You then have 10 minutes to exit. Otherwise it's $3 for the first hour, $1 per extra hour, up to $13 a day, and a lost ticket costs $25.
Bus. Cooper Green says there's no MAX stop in front of the building. The closest stop is on 5th Avenue South, a block away.
The Resource Center
All enrolled patients can use the Resource Center in Suite 1801 on the first floor, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Staff help with:
Free bus passes and rides for eligible patients
Applications for Medicaid, SNAP and housing
Prescription help, home health and hospice support
Referrals to community agencies
Call 205-930-3326 or email cgresourcecenter@cgmhs.org.
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Food and mental health help
Cooper Green's food page points to 211 and to local pantries, including the Community Foodbank of Central Alabama, Community Kitchens of Birmingham and Greater Birmingham Ministries. Social Services at 205-930-3255 can help you find one.
For counseling, ask your primary care provider for a referral to Cooper Green's in-house counselors, or reach a social worker at 205-930-3255 or cgmhssocialwork@uabmc.edu. The clinic also lists the free Alabama Warm Line (1-844-999-4647) and the UAB Community Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic in the same building (205-934-7008). In a crisis, call or text 988, or call 911.
YOUR NEXT STEPS
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More help in Birmingham
Official sources
Last checked: October 30, 2026. Eligibility, documents, hours, phone numbers, prescription, ride, parking and Resource Center details come from coopergreen.org pages and PDFs. The individual-income rule and $29,160 figure come from UAB's January 2024 announcement.
This is general information, not medical or legal advice. Cooper Green's Enrollment Office decides eligibility and copay levels. Call 205-930-3377 to confirm before you rely on any figure here.
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