Help is here.

We know that paying a hospital bill can sometimes be a hardship, especially if you have little or no insurance or if your family income is prohibitive. That's why we have put a financial assistance policy in place ... all you have to do is apply. Those who qualify will receive assistance with all or part of their hospital bills.

How do you apply?

First, contact our billing department's Financial Counselors. If your last name begins with A-L, call 828.883.5132. If your last name begins with M-Z, call 828.883.5323. An appointment will be made to complete the process outlined below.

• Complete required applications.
• Assist the billing department in obtaining information needed to determine eligibility.
• The Financial Counselor will review applications and will: (1) determine if patients have sufficient resources to pay their bill (net earnings after deductions for essential living expenses); (2) acquire a copy of the patient's last year's income taxes; (3) acquire a copy of unemployment income; and (4) determine the level of financial assistance for which a patient qualifies.

Sometimes, patients may not qualify for charity care, but will qualify for a portion of their bill to be discounted by the Hospital. We gauge eligibility for this discount by family income compared to family size. Various discounts are available for patients with incomes that exceed the national poverty guidelines by up to 200%. Talk to our Financial Counselors for more information.