Phoenix Hospital Charity Care 2026–27: Banner Health and Valleywise Financial Assistance, Income Limits, Documents and Your 240-Day Window
A hospital bill in Phoenix can show up weeks after you went home, often for more than a month's rent. Many patients pay what they can on a credit card, or let the bill go to collections, without knowing that the hospital itself may be required to offer free or discounted care.
The two hospital systems most Phoenix-area patients deal with are Banner Health and Valleywise Health, the Maricopa County health system that also runs community health centers. Both publish financial assistance programs based on household income compared with the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). This guide compares them side by side, explains the federal rules that protect you while you apply, and shows you how to apply and what to do if you are turned down.
First, Know Your Window: The Federal 501(r) Rules
Nonprofit hospitals must follow Section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code. According to the IRS:
A hospital must make reasonable efforts to find out whether you qualify for financial assistance before it takes "extraordinary collection actions" (ECAs) against you.
ECAs include selling your debt, reporting you to credit bureaus, denying or delaying medically necessary care because of old unpaid bills, and actions that need a court process, such as liens, lawsuits, wage garnishment or seizing a bank account.
There is a 120-day notification period and a 240-day application period, both starting from the date of the first billing statement after you left the hospital.
The hospital cannot start ECAs for at least 120 days after that first post-discharge bill.
If you apply within the 240 days, the hospital must decide whether you qualify. If your application is incomplete, it must tell you what is missing and give you a reasonable chance to finish it.
Before starting ECAs, the hospital must send written notice at least 30 days ahead, saying financial assistance is available and listing the actions it plans to take.
Practical meaning: find the date on your first bill after discharge. You have at least 240 days from that date to apply, and applying sooner is better.
Banner Health vs. Valleywise Health at a Glance
Feature | Banner Health (Arizona hospitals) | Valleywise Health |
Free or charity care | Household income at or below 200% FPL | Assistance tiers from 0% to 200% FPL |
Discounts above that | Discounted payment up to 400% FPL, or medical bills over 50% of household income | Separate uninsured discount pricing |
Phone | (888) 264-2127 | 602-344-8181 |
How to apply | Application form by mail or email | Ask Valleywise staff about the program |
The rest of this guide explains each system in detail.
Banner Health Financial Assistance
Who qualifies
Banner's financial assistance program offers discounted and charity care to patients who are uninsured, underinsured (insured but facing hardship from high deductibles, co-pays or coinsurance), or medically indigent. Banner defines medically indigent as a household whose medical bills over the previous 12 months, from Banner and other providers, are more than 50% of household income.
Banner's financial assistance page sets these income rules:
Charity care: household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level for your household size.
Discounted payment: household income at or below 400% FPL, or medical expenses (Banner and non-Banner) above 50% of household income. The amount of help follows a sliding scale.
If you are uninsured or underinsured and do not qualify under the FPL guidelines, Banner says you may still qualify for a discounted rate of 1.25 times the "Amounts Generally Billed" (AGB). That figure is based on what private insurers and Medicare would have paid.
Banner's summary also says that if you qualify, you will never be charged more than AGB for emergency or other medically necessary care, and you will never have to pay in advance to receive emergency services.
One condition to know: Banner's application summary says that if the hospital asks, uninsured patients must apply for AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid) and cooperate with that process. You then qualify for Banner assistance if AHCCCS denies you or you cannot reasonably complete the AHCCCS application.
Documents Banner asks for
According to Banner's Arizona application form, attach proof of income:
Employed: your three most recent consecutive pay stubs (for the patient, guarantor and spouse)
Self-employed: federal Schedule C or other proof of income and expenses
Retired or on Social Security: your SSA-1099 or award letter
Unemployed: last year's federal tax return, an unemployment award letter, or a written self-declaration of income
Any AHCCCS/Medicaid determination
Copies of non-Banner medical bills, if requested
How to send it
Mail or email the completed application to:
Banner Health c/o PBM, PO Box 743711, Los Angeles, CA 90074-3711 Email: BannerFAApplications@bannerhealth.com
Yes, the mailing address is in California even for Arizona patients. That is the address printed on the Arizona form.
For questions, help with the application, or payment arrangements, call Banner Patient Financial Services at (888) 264-2127. Banner lists hours as Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to noon (Arizona time). Spanish versions of the documents are available, and copies can be mailed to you on request.
Valleywise Health Financial Assistance
Valleywise says it is committed to care regardless of ability to pay, and it updated its financial assistance and uninsured discount fee schedules in 2026. The new schedule, which covers Valleywise services other than its Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), sorts patients into four categories by household income:
Category 1: 0–100% FPL
Category 2: 101–138% FPL
Category 3: 139–150% FPL
Category 4: 151–200% FPL
What you pay under the 2026 schedule
Service | Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 | Category 4 |
Inpatient stay | 0% | 30% | 60% | 80% |
Outpatient emergency room visit | $75 | $100 | $150 | $175 |
Clinic visit | $55 | $75 | $90 | $100 |
Behavioral health clinic visit | $10 | $15 | $20 | $25 |
Outpatient imaging, lab, therapy | 5% | 30% | 60% | 80% |
Percentages are what the schedule lists for each category. The behavioral health rate excludes the Behavioral Health Resident Clinic. Discounted prescriptions are also available at Valleywise retail pharmacies. Valleywise has a separate schedule for its FQHC clinics and separate uninsured discount pricing for patients who are not in a financial assistance category.
How to apply
Valleywise says its staff can help you understand your bill and find out whether you qualify. Call 602-344-8181 with questions about your bill or to start the financial assistance process. The main hospital switchboard is (602) 344-5011.
Check AHCCCS First: It May Cover the Whole Bill
Many people who qualify for hospital charity care also qualify for AHCCCS, Arizona's Medicaid program, which offers medical programs for residents who meet income and other requirements. Banner may require uninsured patients to apply for it anyway. Contact AHCCCS at 602-417-4000 or toll-free 1-800-654-8713, or start at azahcccs.gov.
Step-by-Step Plan for a Phoenix Hospital Bill
Ask for an itemized bill and check it for duplicate charges or services you did not receive.
Note the date of your first post-discharge bill. Count 240 days forward and put that date on your calendar.
Work out your FPL percentage. Compare your household income and size to the current federal poverty guidelines. If you are near 200% (Valleywise) or 400% (Banner), apply anyway. The hospital makes the final decision.
Apply for AHCCCS if you might qualify, especially if Banner asks you to.
Send the hospital application with every document listed. Missing pay stubs are the most common reason applications stall.
Keep copies and write down the date and method you used to send everything.
Ask the hospital to pause collections while your application is pending. Under 501(r), a complete application filed during the 240-day period must be decided.
If You Are Denied or Ignored
Ask for the decision in writing and the reason. Compare it with the hospital's posted policy. Banner's full Financial Assistance Policy and Valleywise's schedule are online.
Fix the gap and reapply. If the problem was missing documents, send them.
Check whether collections started too early. If the hospital sold your debt or reported you to a credit bureau without proper notice or before deciding a complete application, raise it in writing with the hospital's patient financial services office and cite Section 501(r).
Ask about a payment plan. Banner's financial services line handles payment arrangements.
Get free help. If you are sued over a hospital bill, contact a local legal aid office right away. Do not ignore court papers.
Related Guides
Sources
This guide gives general information, not legal or medical advice. Hospital policies change; check the official sources above before you act.
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