Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts — 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: Health Safety Net — 101 CMR 613.00 (M.G.L. c. 118E)
Figures marked from statute, regulation, or agency text read directly in our research pass. Checked October 19, 2026.
The Health Safety Net pays the hospital — it works at acute hospitals and community health centers, for residents regardless of immigration status.
| Household size | Poverty guideline | Free-care line | Discount line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $23,940 150% | $47,880 300% |
| 2 | $21,640 | $32,460 150% | $64,920 300% |
| 4 | $33,000 | $49,500 150% | $99,000 300% |
| 6 | $44,360 | $66,540 150% | $133,080 300% |
Guidelines: 2026 HHS Poverty Guidelines (Federal Register, January 2026). Lines shown use Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts: 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 150% of the poverty guidelines under Massachusetts law — $49,500 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.
No state ban found. Federal bureau practice still keeps paid medical collections and collections under $500 off reports, and any medical collection gets a 1-year waiting period before it can appear.