BrightBill

Hospital financial assistance in Washington

Washington law requires hospitals to reduce or write off bills for patients whose household income falls below set levels. This is usually called charity care. Below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level the bill must be written off in full. Brightbill tracks 106 Washington hospitals and shows the statute behind every answer.

Check my Washington hospital bill

Free and anonymous: no account, no sign-in, no bill number.

Free-care income limits in Washington (2026 guidelines)

Annual household income at 200% of the Federal Poverty Level: at or below these figures, Washington law requires the bill to be written off in full.

Household of 1
$31,920
Household of 2
$43,280
Household of 3
$54,640
Household of 4
$66,000
Household of 5
$77,360
Household of 6+
$88,720

Discounts and payment protections continue above this level, up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Hospitals in Washington

  • Up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level

    Bill written off in full

    Washington law also lets a hospital look at your assets, but it is not required to and many do not. If a hospital does screen assets, state law requires generous exclusions, including your primary home, retirement accounts, and a vehicle. This does not change the income tiers above.

    RCW 70.170.060(5)

  • 200%–250% of the Federal Poverty Level

    At least 75% off the bill

    Washington law also lets a hospital look at your assets, but it is not required to and many do not. If a hospital does screen assets, state law requires generous exclusions, including your primary home, retirement accounts, and a vehicle. This does not change the income tiers above.

    RCW 70.170.060(5)

  • 250%–300% of the Federal Poverty Level

    At least 50% off the bill

    Washington law also lets a hospital look at your assets, but it is not required to and many do not. If a hospital does screen assets, state law requires generous exclusions, including your primary home, retirement accounts, and a vehicle. This does not change the income tiers above.

    RCW 70.170.060(5)

Large hospital systems in Washington

  • Up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level

    Bill written off in full

    Washington law also lets a hospital look at your assets, but it is not required to and many do not. If a hospital does screen assets, state law requires generous exclusions, including your primary home, retirement accounts, and a vehicle. This does not change the income tiers above.

    RCW 70.170.060(5)

  • 300%–350% of the Federal Poverty Level

    At least 75% off the bill

    Washington law also lets a hospital look at your assets, but it is not required to and many do not. If a hospital does screen assets, state law requires generous exclusions, including your primary home, retirement accounts, and a vehicle. This does not change the income tiers above.

    RCW 70.170.060(5)

  • 350%–400% of the Federal Poverty Level

    At least 50% off the bill

    Washington law also lets a hospital look at your assets, but it is not required to and many do not. If a hospital does screen assets, state law requires generous exclusions, including your primary home, retirement accounts, and a vehicle. This does not change the income tiers above.

    RCW 70.170.060(5)

What Washington nonprofit hospitals reported to the IRS

Nonprofit hospitals that file IRS Form 990 report their financial assistance policy every year on Schedule H. These are the income limits each one reported in its most recent filing, as a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level. Where Washington law sets a higher limit, the law applies. Policies can change after a filing, so the hospital's current written policy decides.

Financial assistance limits reported on IRS Form 990 Schedule H by Washington nonprofit hospitals
HospitalFree care up toDiscounted care up toAsset testPresumptive eligibilityTax year
Astria Toppenish HospitalToppenish200%300%Not statedYes2024
Kadlec Regional Medical CenterRichland300%400%YesYes2024
Kaiser Permanente Central HospitalSeattle200%300%Not statedYes2024
MultiCare Auburn Medical CenterAuburn300%500%Not statedYes2024
MultiCare Covington Medical CenterCovington300%500%Not statedYes2024
MultiCare Good Samaritan HospitalPuyallup300%500%Not statedYes2024
Multicare Valley HospitalSpokane Valley300%500%Not statedYes2024
Peacehealth Peace Island Medical CenterFriday Harbor300%400%Not statedYes2024
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical CenterVancouver300%400%Not statedYes2024
PeaceHealth St. John Medical CenterLongview300%400%Not statedYes2024
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical CenterBellingham300%400%Not statedYes2024
Swedish IssaquahIssaquah300%400%YesYes2024
Tri-State Memorial HospitalClarkston200%350%YesYes2024
Virginia Mason Downtown Medical CenterSeattle300%400%YesYes2024
Wellfound Behavioral Health HospitalTacoma300%400%Not statedYes2024

Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule H, Part V, from the IRS e-file data, most recent filing since 2022 for each hospital. "Presumptive eligibility" means the hospital reported deciding eligibility for some patients without an application before starting collection actions. "Not stated" means the filing gave no figure or left the box unchecked.

Washington hospitals covered in detail

82 Washington hospitals with their own page.

Every other Washington hospital is in the checker too, including hospitals in Aberdeen, Anacortes, Arlington, Auburn, Bellevue, Bellingham, Brewster, Burien.

If a Washington hospital does not follow the law

Washington complaints are handled by Washington State Department of Health: Charity Care Program. Brightbill will soon prepare that complaint for you, free.

Common questions

Who qualifies for free hospital care in Washington?

Under RCW 70.170.060(5), a household with income up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level qualifies to have the bill written off in full. Using the 2026 federal poverty guidelines, that is about $31,920 a year for a household of one and about $66,000 a year for a household of four.

What if my income is above the free-care limit in Washington?

Washington rules still reach higher incomes. 200%–250% of the Federal Poverty Level: at least 75% off the bill. 250%–300% of the Federal Poverty Level: at least 50% off the bill. The protections run up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Which Washington hospitals have to offer financial assistance?

Brightbill tracks 106 hospitals in Washington. The Washington rule applies to hospitals in the state, and nonprofit hospitals nationwide must also have a written financial assistance policy to keep their federal tax exemption.

Is the Washington eligibility check free?

Yes. The Brightbill eligibility check is free and anonymous. It needs no account and no sign-in, and never asks for your name, hospital records, bill number or contact details. Coming soon: Brightbill will do it for you, free: the financial assistance application to the hospital and any surprise bill dispute, followed through to the answer. Leave your email after your check and we'll tell you when it opens.

Can I still apply after my Washington bill has gone to collections?

Often yes. Many state charity-care laws let you apply after the bill is issued, and applying can pause collection activity or lead to a refund if you already paid more than the law allows. The exact window is set by RCW 70.170.060(5), and Washington State Department of Health: Charity Care Program handles complaints when a hospital does not follow it.

Does the No Surprises Act protect me in Washington?

Yes. The federal No Surprises Act applies in every state, including Washington. If you have health insurance, it protects you from surprise out-of-network bills for emergency care, for care from out-of-network doctors at an in-network hospital or surgery center (unless you signed a valid consent for certain non-emergency care), and for air ambulance flights: you owe only your in-network share. If you are uninsured or paying yourself, you can ask for a written Good Faith Estimate before scheduled care, and if the final bill is at least $400 more than that estimate you can dispute it through the federal process within 120 days of the bill. Brightbill's free check covers both charity care and these protections.

Can Brightbill send the letters for me?

Soon. Brightbill's full service opens soon, and it will be free. When it opens: Brightbill applies to the hospital for financial assistance, follows up, reads the reply and checks the decision against the law and the hospital's own policy. For a surprise bill or a bill above your Good Faith Estimate, it walks you through the government dispute form step by step, writes any letter your case needs, sends it with your approval and tracks the deadlines. It sends by email first. If an office only accepts mail, Brightbill mails it at no cost (the application and one follow-up for each provider). For charity care, you check and sign once and Brightbill sends the application, follows up and asks you before any appeal or complaint. For a surprise bill, you approve each letter before it is sent. Letters go from a secure case address, so the reply comes back to you and into your case. The free check stays free and anonymous.

Does Brightbill give legal advice about Washington hospital bills?

No. Brightbill is an eligibility estimate to act on, not legal advice, and it is not affiliated with any hospital. It shows the statute behind every result so you can check it yourself; the hospital's financial assistance office makes the final decision.

Check my Washington hospital bill

Takes about two minutes.

§

Legal basis: RCW 70.170.060(5) requires Washington hospitals to offer charity care and discount payment to eligible patients.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Each hospital's financial assistance office makes the final decision. Terms · Health Data Privacy Policy.