Mercy Southwest Hospital — Financial Assistance & Charity Care

Do you qualify for FREE care?

Mercy Southwest Hospital provides free (charity) care to patients at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level. If your yearly household income is at or below the amount for your household size, you likely qualify for 100% free care:

Discounted care

Patients up to 500% of the Federal Poverty Level qualify for discounted care — you'd owe no more than the amount generally billed to insured patients:

What you'll need to apply

• Bank or checking account statements evidencing available resources (base policy)
• At least one supporting income document: most recent federal income tax return, current Form W-2, current paystubs, or signed letter of support (base policy)
• California: documentation limited to income tax returns or recent pay stubs; assets may be accepted but not required
• Documentation of Essential Living Expenses if requesting an extended payment plan (California)

How to apply

When you call, say: “I'd like to apply for financial assistance (charity care) for a hospital bill. Can you send me the application and tell me which documents I need?”

Based on this hospital's policy effective 07/02/2025.