What is charitable assistance?

Charitable assistance is help for patients who may encounter difficulty paying hospital medical expenses. Depending on a patient’s financial situation, a hospital bill may be partially or totally forgiven.

Who is Eligible?

1. Patients may be eligible if they:
   do not have adequate financial resources to pay for care
   

2. are not covered under any insurance that could provide medical benefits
   

3. are not eligible for government assistance or other assistance programs (except when coverage was denied due to the failure of a patient to cooperate in the application/approval process).

How to Apply

1. Seek help from our Patient Financial Services Representative.
   Call
   (208) 634-4061, (208) 634-2221,
   or toll free
   (888) 236-4643, ext. 138
   Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
   
   

2. Fill out the enclosed form and return in person or mail to:
   Patient Financial Services Office
   McCall Memorial Hospital
   1000 State Street
   McCall, ID 83638
   or FAX, (208) 634-7112

Eligibility Determination

1. In order to receive financial assistance, the patient or responsible party must complete the Charitable Assistance Assessment form.
   
   

2. Copies of supporting documentation, such as current payroll stubs, tax return(s), current bank statements, credit reports, and any form denying insurance coverage must be submitted with the application. The patient will have 14 calendar days from receiving the application to return the form and supporting documents. All information pertaining to the application will be kept confidential.
   
   

3. Eligibility for charitable assistance will be based on the income of all adult household members and the assets and expenses of the household. The financial resources are compared against the US Government’s Federal Poverty levels. In the event that a patient or responsible party has significant assets, the hospital may secure its interest in those assets. For the patient’s protection, the patient’s primary residence, adequate transportation and reserves to cover normal living expenses will not be encumbered for repayment of the hospital bill(s).
   
   

4. If a portion of a bill qualifies for charitable assistance, the remaining amount will be due from the patient and will be processed through the normal billing processes.
   
   

5. An approval for charitable assistance does not automatically carry over to all services or future visits. A patient will need to reapply.
   
   

6. Unusual circumstances allow special consideration. Such situations may include: homeless patients, deceased patient with an insufficient estate value to pay the bill, or overwhelming medical bills. Also, due to unexpected hardships, such as losing a job, individuals who are actively paying on accounts may apply for charitable assistance to help with the remaining amount of their bill. All situations will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
   
   Patient Financial Services Office
   (208) 634-4061, ext. 138 or
   toll free (888) 236-4643
   Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.