Hospital Charity Care

State residents ineligible for employer or government coverage can receive essential medical services at all hospitals in Rhode Island. Care is provided free for families with incomes below 200% of Federal Poverty Guidelines and at a reduced rate between 200-300%. The financial services department or registration desk in each hospital provides applications. Some services such as doctor’s bills and outpatient medications are not included. The category applies to all residents regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

Patients should contact a hospital financial services intake worker, hospital registration representative or to the hospital information desk (phone numbers below). Applicants who are denied should be given a number or an address for appeals within each hospital. Patients who feel that an application or appeal was wrongfully denied should call the Rhode Island Department of Health Information Line.

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Charity Care (also known as free care) includes free or deeply discounted medical services for uninsured, low-income Rhode Islanders.  The Department of Health and Rhode Island hospitals are working together to ensure access to essential health care services under this important community benefit.

Regulations provide a consistent standard for applying charity care across hospitals, based on federal poverty levels

Rhode Island requires hospitals to provide essential medical services to qualified charity care patients. Hospitals must not discourage patients who cannot afford to pay from seeking essential medical services, nor direct them to seek those services from other providers.

Our Health Disparities and Access to Care Team in the Division of Community, Family Health and Equity can answer your questions or concerns about Charity Care.