UMC El Paso Financial Assistance: Free and Low-Copay Care, Plus Cheaper Sun Metro Rides
University Medical Center of El Paso is run by the El Paso County Hospital District, and it has two programs that can wipe out most or all of a hospital bill for county residents with low or moderate income. This guide explains Health CARE Options and CARE +Plus, the documents UMC asks for and the 270-day deadline. It also covers Sun Metro's reduced fares, so getting to your appointments costs less too.
AT A GLANCE
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Who runs UMC's assistance
The El Paso County Hospital District does business as University Medical Center of El Paso. Its financial assistance policy, F-14, covers the main hospital, UMC-El Paso Surgical Center West, UMC Surgical Hospital and the UMC-El Paso Neighborhood Healthcare Centers.
Policy F-14 sets up two assistance programs, Health CARE Options (the district's indigent care program under the Texas Indigent Health Care and Treatment Act) and CARE +Plus (its charity care program), plus self-pay discounts handled under the same policy.
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Which program fits your income
Program | Household income | What you pay |
|---|---|---|
Health CARE Options | At or below 100% of poverty guidelines | 100% discount. UMC invites a copay, but you don't have to pay it |
CARE +Plus (financially indigent) | Over 100%, up to 200% | The copay for each service. The rest of the gross charges are written off |
CARE +Plus (medically indigent) | Over 200%, up to 400% | Possible help if your remaining bill is more than 50% of yearly household income and you can't pay it |
Self-pay discount | Any income, no other coverage | Charges cut to 20% of the original amount |
2026 income lines
UMC's eligibility guidelines took effect January 13, 2026, and use the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines. The 100% column comes straight from UMC's chart. The 200% and 400% columns are our own math (twice and four times the guideline), so treat them as estimates and let UMC make the call.
Household size | 100% (HCO), yearly | 200% (CARE +Plus), yearly | 400% (medically indigent), yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | $15,960 | $31,920 | $63,840 |
2 | $21,640 | $43,280 | $86,560 |
3 | $27,320 | $54,640 | $109,280 |
4 | $33,000 | $66,000 | $132,000 |
5 | $38,680 | $77,360 | $154,720 |
6 | $44,360 | $88,720 | $177,440 |
7 | $50,040 | $100,080 | $200,160 |
8 | $55,720 | $111,440 | $222,880 |
For households over eight, the guidelines add $5,680 per person at the 100% line.
An example of our own: a couple earning $40,000 a year is above the $21,640 HCO line but under about $43,280, so they would likely be screened for CARE +Plus. If they earned $70,000 and got a $45,000 bill, that bill is more than half their income, so the medically indigent rule could apply.
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HCO copays: invited, not required
Policy F-14 says HCO patients get a 100% discount. UMC will invite you to contribute a copay, but you aren't required to pay it, and the policy says no collection agency will pursue HCO copays. These are the amounts on UMC's 2026 Schedule A:
Service | Suggested copay |
|---|---|
Inpatient stay | $150 |
X-ray | $20 |
Imaging | $35 |
Prescription | $8 |
Rehab | $10 |
Ysleta or Fabens clinic visit | $15 |
Emergency room | $35 |
Infusion | $36 |
Lab | $6 |
Ambulatory surgery or observation | $150 |
CARE +Plus copays are different. They're set in a separate attachment that varies by service and income, and they're due at the time of service. UMC's billing and collections policy applies to them. The CARE +Plus schedule wasn't on UMC's website when we checked, so call Patient Financial Services for your amount.
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Who counts in your household
UMC uses tax paperwork to decide who's in your household:
Adult patient: you, your spouse and any dependents claimed on your most recent W-2 or tax return. Income from you, your spouse and any adult dependent counts.
Minor patient: the child, both parents and the parents' claimed dependents. Income from the child and both parents counts.
Emancipated minor: the patient and any minor dependents they claim.
Income from anyone who gets TANF, SSI or Medicaid is left out. Approval covers everyone counted in the household, not just the patient.
Benefits that speed things up
Proof you currently get TANF: UMC treats your income as at or below 100% of poverty.
Proof you currently get Medicaid, WIC or CHIP: UMC treats your income as at or below 200%.
Residency rules
HCO is only for El Paso County residents. That means anyone who lives in the county or intends to. It excludes people who moved to the county just for health care help, residents of state or federal institutions and state schools, and minor students supported by parents who live outside the county. CARE +Plus also treats documented homeless patients and international migrants or refugees as residents. For CARE +Plus, homeless patients are counted as having no income. UMC needs a letter from a shelter showing you're registered there.
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The paperwork
UMC's charity care page lists three things to bring.
1. Proof of income. The page asks for your tax return, W-2 and one more item. That can be a wage statement, your last two pay stubs, unemployment insurance records, an employer letter on company letterhead, a bank statement or another sign of income. The policy also accepts Social Security, unemployment or workers' comp determination letters, and phone verification by your employer.
2. Two proofs of residency. Examples include mail addressed to you, your spouse or your children, a driver's license or other official ID, voting records, car registration, school enrollment records, property tax receipts, rent receipts on the landlord company's letterhead, mortgage receipts and utility receipts. One document is enough if you show current TANF as a county resident, or a letter from an El Paso County shelter.
3. Your household. List the names of the immediate family members who live with you.
The application also asks for your Social Security number. Without one, a CARE +Plus application counts as incomplete, unless you're documented as an international migrant or refugee. You'll also sign a consent letting UMC check your employer, credit reports and Social Security records.
No pay stubs?
If you can't get income documents and your charges are over $500, UMC will ask for a notarized statement of your income. It will also pull a credit report for each adult in the household. For charges of $500 or less, UMC documents two tries to get your paperwork and goes by what you wrote.
Mind the 270 days
UMC must receive your completed application and all documents within 270 days of the first bill after discharge. The policy says it won't cover services billed more than 270 days before it has everything. Start as soon as the first bill arrives.
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After you apply
If approved, you get a notice of approval. HCO lasts up to one year, and CARE +Plus lasts up to six months.
Report changes within 14 days. If your income, address or coverage changes and you don't tell UMC, you could owe for care received after the change.
If denied, you get a letter explaining your right to appeal under policy F-14.2. UMC will also take another look if your income or residency changes or you send more documents.
The bill cap: once you qualify, UMC can't charge more for emergency or medically necessary care than it bills people with insurance. You can get the current percentage free by calling (915) 521-7900.
Insurance comes first
HCO, CARE +Plus and self-pay discounts are for patients who aren't enrolled in or eligible for other coverage. That includes commercial insurance, car-accident coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, SSI and Crime Victims' Compensation. The policy says that if your income is between 100% and 150% of poverty, UMC may treat you as eligible for a fully subsidized marketplace plan and help you enroll.
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Sun Metro fares to get you there
Sun Metro is the City of El Paso's transit agency. Its reduced fares work on fixed routes, Brio and Microtransit.
Fare | Standard | Military / student | Senior 65+ / disability |
|---|---|---|---|
One ride | $1.50 | $1.00 | $0.50 |
Weekly pass | $12 | $7 | $3.50 |
Monthly pass | $48 | $30 | $15 |
Day pass | $3.50 | — | — |
Children 5 and under ride free with an adult. Transfers are free if you ask the driver when you board, and they're good for one use within 2 hours. LIFT paratransit rides cost $2.50.
How to get the reduced fare
Seniors 65+: show a U.S. or state government photo ID with your birth date, or a valid Enhanced Library Card. If you have neither, Sun Metro can issue its own ID if you bring proof of age and a photo ID.
Riders with a disability: fill out the Application for Disability Identification Card (SM-A) and have a licensed professional certify it with a letter. Bring it to a ticket office for a free Sun Metro ID. A permanent card lasts five years, a temporary one 12 months or less, and a replacement costs $5. Sun Metro says a Social Security disability letter doesn't count as proof. Pregnancy, obesity, alcoholism, contagious diseases and disabilities lasting under 90 days are excluded.
Military: active duty, retirees and dependents show a valid military ID.
Medicare card holders are also listed as eligible on Sun Metro's reduced fare page. Call 915-212-3333 to confirm what to show.
One catch: tapping a phone or bank card on the fare reader charges a regular fare only. To pay a reduced fare, buy it at a ticket office or ticket machine and show it to the driver.
Where to get an ID or pass
Ticket offices are open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. You'll find them at the Downtown Santa Fe Transit Center (601 Santa Fe), the Eastside Transit Center (1165 Sunmount) and the Five Points Transit Center (2830 Montana Ave.). Passes can also be ordered by mail. Send a check or money order with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Sun Metro Accounts Receivable, 10151 Montana Ave., El Paso, TX 79925.
Free passes for veterans
Thanks to a Texas Veterans Commission grant, Sun Metro gives free 30-day passes to eligible veterans, dependents and surviving spouses. The passes cover fixed routes, Brio and LIFT. The current program runs September 1, 2026, to August 31, 2027, or until the money runs out, first come, first served. Apply with the Texas Veterans form or call 915-212-3333. If you were in the program before, just call to confirm your details.
LIFT for riders who can't use the bus
LIFT paratransit is for riders whose disability keeps them from reaching a stop or riding a bus on their own. Apply with a LIFT application plus a Paratransit Verification Form from your doctor or a LIFT representative. Call 915-212-LIFT (5438).
YOUR NEXT STEPS
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More help in El Paso and Texas
Official sources
Last checked: October 30, 2026. Programs, income rules, documents, deadlines and copays come from UMC El Paso's charity care page, Policy F-14 (last reviewed June 2024), the 2026 eligibility guidelines, the application and the policy summary. Fares and eligibility come from Sun Metro's fares, reduced fare, where-to-buy, pay-your-way, Vets Ride Free and LIFT pages and its disability ID application.
This is general information, not medical or financial advice. UMC decides eligibility and what you owe, and Sun Metro sets fares. Call (915) 521-7900 or 915-212-3333 to confirm before you rely on any figure here.
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