Maryland charity care
This state's rules reach every hospital in the state, whatever its tax status. Below: the five things that decide your bill in Maryland — the free-care line, the discount line, whether the hospital must screen you, your application window, and your credit-report protection — each with its source.
The law: Md. Health-General §19-214.1 + COMAR 10.37.10.26 (HSCRC)
Figures marked from statute, regulation, or agency text read directly in our research pass. Checked October 19, 2026.
A Maryland hospital may only count household assets above $100,000 against you, and retirement accounts are excluded (§19-214.1(b)(8)). Denials can be taken to the state Health Education and Advocacy Unit for mediation.
| Household size | Poverty guideline | Free-care line | Discount line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $31,920 200% | $47,880 300% |
| 2 | $21,640 | $43,280 200% | $64,920 300% |
| 4 | $33,000 | $66,000 200% | $99,000 300% |
| 6 | $44,360 | $88,720 200% | $133,080 300% |
Guidelines: 2026 HHS Poverty Guidelines (Federal Register, January 2026). Lines shown use Maryland's statutory percentages where the state sets them; "typical policy" marks the most common hospital-policy lines where it doesn't. Your hospital's policy is the deciding document — the kit shows you how to get it and read it.
At any nonprofit hospital in Maryland: a written financial assistance policy must exist and be publicized; you have 240 days from the first post-discharge bill to apply; no extraordinary collection actions for 120 days or while a complete application is decided; charges for eligible patients are capped at amounts generally billed; and money paid above what you owed comes back when a submitted application is approved. The full plain-words version.
Get the HospitalBillDecoded Kit — $49
One payment of $49. No subscription. The kit is a web page you can return to and print — the application pack, the error checklist, the scripts, the deadline tracker, and the escalation ladder.
Free care reaches 200% of the poverty guidelines under Maryland law — $66,000 a year for a household of four in 2026. The hospital decides individual cases from the application.
The federal period controls: 240 days from your first post-discharge billing statement, with no extraordinary collection actions in the first 120 days.
Yes — Maryland law (effective October 1, 2025) keeps medical debt off credit reports (NCLC tracker, September 2026).