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Philadelphia Hospital Charity Care 2026–27: Free and Discounted Care at Penn, Jefferson and Temple, and How to Apply

Writer: FSR Editorial Team
FSR Editorial Team
54 minutes ago
8 min read

A trip to the emergency room at a big Philadelphia hospital can produce a bill of several thousand dollars, even for a short visit. What many patients never hear is that every major health system in the city runs a financial assistance program, and the income limits are higher than most people expect. A family of four earning close to $100,000 can qualify for completely free care at Penn Medicine. At Jefferson, the free-care line for that same family is $66,000, with discounts reaching well beyond that.

This guide explains how the charity care programs at Penn Medicine, Jefferson Health and Temple Health work, what each one asks for, and how long you have to apply. It also covers the City health centers for ongoing care, so the next bill is smaller or never arrives.

Last checked October 2026. Sources: Penn Medicine's financial assistance plain language summary and state resources page, Jefferson Health's Financial Assistance Policy (127.54) and plain language summary, Temple University Hospital's Emergency Care, Charity Care and Financial Assistance policy and its 2025 poverty-level table, and the City of Philadelphia's health centers page.



The Short Version

| Health system | Free care if household income is | Discounts up to | Deadline to apply | |---|---|---|---| | Penn Medicine | Below 300% of poverty level | Partial discount above 300%, after a full review | 1 year after treatment | | Jefferson Health | At or below 200% | 500% | 2 years from service, or 240 days from first bill, whichever is later | | Temple University Hospital | At or below 100% | 400% (75%, 50% or 25% off) | 240 days after first post-discharge bill |

  • You usually have to apply for Medical Assistance first. All three systems expect you to try for Medicaid (called Medical Assistance in Pennsylvania) or other coverage before they approve charity care.

  • Having insurance doesn't rule you out. Jefferson and Temple both say insured patients can get help with deductibles, copays and other balances left after insurance pays.

  • Emergency care comes first. Temple's policy says it won't ask emergency patients to apply for aid or pay before they're treated.



What the Income Limits Mean in Dollars

Hospitals measure income against the federal poverty guidelines. Penn Medicine's website posts the 2026 figures from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which took effect January 1, 2026. Here's what the key cutoffs work out to for common household sizes. (We did the multiplication from the federal figures; the hospitals' own tables may round slightly differently.)

| Household size | 100% (poverty line) | 200% | 300% | 400% | 500% | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | $15,960 | $31,920 | $47,880 | $63,840 | $79,800 | | 2 | $21,640 | $43,280 | $64,920 | $86,560 | $108,200 | | 3 | $27,320 | $54,640 | $81,960 | $109,280 | $136,600 | | 4 | $33,000 | $66,000 | $99,000 | $132,000 | $165,000 | | 5 | $38,680 | $77,360 | $116,040 | $154,720 | $193,400 | | 6 | $44,360 | $88,720 | $133,080 | $177,440 | $221,800 |

For each person beyond eight, the federal guideline adds $5,680. One small warning: Penn's state resources page lists $50,720 for a household of eight, which looks like a typo. The federal figure is $55,720, and Penn's own Lancaster General table uses $55,720.



Penn Medicine

Penn's policy covers the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Pennsylvania Hospital, Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Hospital, Penn's physician practices, Penn Care at Home, Wissahickon Hospice and several other Penn entities. Doctors who are listed as not employed by Penn Medicine aren't covered, so if you see a separate bill from an outside physician group, ask that group about its own program.

Who qualifies. According to Penn's plain language summary, you may be eligible if you:

  • Have limited or no health insurance and no other source to pay the bill, such as workers' compensation or auto insurance

  • Aren't eligible for government coverage like Medicare or Medical Assistance (and you must apply for Medical Assistance to qualify)

  • Can show financial need

  • Live within 50 miles of any Penn Medicine provider

  • Give Penn the financial information it asks for

How much help. Generally, a family with income below 300% of the poverty guidelines gets free care. Above that line, Penn does a full assessment of your income and situation and may give a partial discount. Penn also says anyone who qualifies can't be charged more than the amount generally billed to insured patients for emergency or other medically necessary care.

How to apply. Fill out the Penn Medicine Financial Assistance Application and attach the documents on its checklist. If something is missing, Penn says it will tell you and give you a chance to send it. Penn usually responds within 5 business days. It can also set up a payment plan for anything left over.

  • Deadline: within 1 year after your treatment

  • Phone for an application: 1-877-433-5299

  • By mail: Penn Medicine, Attn: Financial Assistance, P.O. Box 824406, Philadelphia, PA 19182-4406

  • In person: applications are available at any Penn (UPHS) location

Penn strongly encourages uninsured patients to look at coverage through Pennie, Pennsylvania's insurance marketplace. It warns that not enrolling "could impact the level of assistance" you get. For enrollment questions, Penn lists 800-406-1177.



Jefferson Health

Jefferson now runs a long list of hospitals in the Philadelphia area. In the city they include Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Center City, Jefferson Methodist in South Philadelphia, Jefferson Einstein on Tabor Road, Jefferson Frankford, Jefferson Torresdale and the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience. Its policy also covers suburban hospitals like Abington, Lansdale and Bucks.

Who qualifies. Jefferson's program is for people who are uninsured, underinsured, or otherwise unable to pay for emergency or medically necessary care. It's open to residents of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. People from other states and other countries may be considered for emergency conditions.

How much help. From the plain language summary:

  • Income at or below 200% of poverty: full assistance, and $0 is billed to you

  • Income above 200% and up to 500%: partial assistance, a discount set at the lower of Jefferson's Compassionate Care discount or the amount generally billed

There's an asset test. This is the part that catches people. Jefferson's full policy says an individual's resources can't exceed $7,500, and a family's can't exceed $15,000, as of the application date. It uses the definition of resources from Pennsylvania's Medical Assistance rules.

Jefferson may approve you without an application. The policy allows "presumptive eligibility," based on credit reports and other public information. People who are homeless or getting care at a homeless clinic, or who have out-of-state Medicaid, may also be presumed eligible. Presumptive approvals only cover the bills being reviewed, not future visits.

How to apply. Download the application from Jefferson's financial assistance page, pick one up at a hospital registration or cashier office, or schedule a session with a financial counselor. Jefferson's policy lists (833) 958-2198 for its hospitals.

  • Deadline: two years from the date of service, or 240 days from your first post-discharge bill, whichever is later

  • Decision: no later than 30 working days after Jefferson gets a complete application

  • Missing paperwork: you get 30 days to send it, and Jefferson says it will suspend collection actions in the meantime

  • How long approval lasts: one year from the decision date

Jefferson also says you'll be required to apply for Medicaid or Medicare first if you might be eligible, and the program won't pay amounts your insurance covers.



Temple Health

Temple University Hospital's policy covers its Main, Jeanes, Episcopal and Northeastern campuses, along with Fox Chase Cancer Center (Chestnut Hill Hospital has its own, similar policy).

How much help. Temple uses a stepped scale. Its most recent published table that we could open is for 2025, and it set these levels:

| Household income | What you get | |---|---| | Up to 100% of poverty | Free care | | Up to 200% | 75% discount | | Up to 300% | 50% discount | | Up to 400% | 25% discount |

Under the 2025 table, a household of four got free care with income up to $32,150 and some discount up to $128,600. Temple's 2026 table wasn't available when we checked, so expect the dollar figures to be a little higher now. Chestnut Hill Hospital's summary also says Temple looks at taxable and non-taxable income and family assets.

What uninsured patients need to do. Temple's policy says you must:

  1. Apply for Medical Assistance or Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage through Temple's Office of Financial Services

  2. Complete the charity care application, or meet with a financial services representative to fill it out

  3. Send proof such as a Medical Assistance denial, proof of residence, your most recent tax return, pay stubs from the past 30 days, W-2s, Social Security statements or bank statements

  4. Legally reside in Pennsylvania

Insured patients can ask for help with out-of-pocket costs and balances left after insurance. If you look income-eligible for Medical Assistance, you'll need to show proof that you were denied.

  • Deadline: submit within 240 days after Temple's first post-discharge bill

  • Phone (Office of Financial Services, per the policy): (215) 707-7608

  • Main line: 800-TEMPLE-MED

One thing to know: Temple's policy says uninsured patients who don't qualify for charity care, or qualify only for partial assistance, must pay at least 50% of fees in advance for scheduled care and sign an agreement to pay the rest monthly. That doesn't apply to emergency treatment.



Your Protections While You Apply

All three systems are nonprofit hospitals, and their policies follow the federal rules for nonprofit hospitals. In plain terms:

  • No more than insured patients pay. If you qualify, the hospital can't charge you more than its "amounts generally billed" for emergency or medically necessary care.

  • Collections pause. Jefferson and Temple both say they suspend "extraordinary collection actions," such as lawsuits, wage garnishment, liens and credit reporting, while they review your application.

  • Refunds. Temple's policy says that if you're approved, it will refund payments you made of $5 or more beyond what you owe, and try to reverse collection actions already taken.

  • Written decisions. Each policy says you'll be told the result in writing.

If a bill has already gone to a collector, apply anyway, keep copies of everything, and ask the hospital to put the account on hold while it decides. Applying for Medical Assistance at the same time is smart: every system here expects it, and a denial letter is often part of the paperwork.



Getting Regular Care for Less: City Health Centers

The cheapest hospital bill is the one you avoid. Philadelphia's Department of Public Health runs eight City health centers that offer primary care, and they charge uninsured patients a small fee based on family size and income. Staff can also help you apply for insurance. They take walk-in urgent care patients but require appointments for some services.

| Health center | Address | |---|---| | Health Center 2 | 1700 S. Broad St., Unit 201, 19145 | | Health Center 3 | 555 S. 43rd St., 19104 | | Health Center 4 | 4400 Haverford Ave., 19104 | | Health Center 5 | 1900 N. 20th St., 19121 | | Health Center 6 | 301 W. Girard Ave., 19123 | | Mattie L. Humphrey Health Center (formerly Health Center 9) | 131 E. Chelten Ave., 19144 | | Health Center 10 | 2230 Cottman Ave., 19149 | | Strawberry Mansion Health Center | 2840 W. Dauphin St., 19132 |

Health Center 1, at 1930 S. Broad St., handles sexual health testing and treatment. The City says all health centers close on the fourth Friday of each month. Call ahead to confirm hours and services.



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