Unexpected medical costs can be expensive. To help patients, University of Missouri Health Care and University Physicians offer financial assistance to patients with identified needs. If you are a patient without health insurance and do not have the ability to pay your account balance in full, you may qualify for our financial assistance program.

Below are some commonly asked questions to help you understand how the program works and how to apply.

What is financial assistance?
Financial assistance is a sliding scale, income-based discount program. Patients are required to fill out our application and if you meet the eligibility requirements, you could qualify for a discount on your account balances.

Is there a separate application for University of Missouri Health Care and University Physicians?
No. You only need to submit the information once. University of Missouri Health Care and University Physicians use different income guideline percentages - for University of Missouri Health Care it is 250 percent of federal poverty guidelines and for University Physicians, it is 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines.

Who qualifies for Assistance?

• You must be a United States citizen and a Missouri resident.
• You must meet income guidelines.
• You must provide all documentation required for application processing.

How do I apply?

• Financial Assistance Application 
• Income Tax Request Form
• Authorization for Release of Information
• Fill out the above application, print and sign it, then mail it to:

 Please include the following documentation with your application:

• Previous year’s tax return for each adult living in household. If you do not have a copy, you can use the Income Tax Request Form to get a copy or you can call the IRS at 816-325-3698 to request a copy.
• Proof of income for the previous six months if not required to file taxes
• Proof of food stamp eligibility
• Proof of Social Security or disability income Information
• Information on any investments or assets listed on application 

Contact a Financial Counselor at the hospital where you were treated or contact Customer Service to request an application be mailed directly to you.

How do I know if I have been approved?
You will receive a letter by mail notifying you of the outcome of your application or requesting additional information if required to finalize the processing.

Can I be approved for one entity and denied on the other?
Yes, it is possible you could be approved for financial assistance by MU Health Care but denied by University Physicians due to the different percentage of federal poverty level guidelines used. If you have questions about our billing system, please click the link for Billing for more information. 

Are there any charges which financial assistance would not be considered?
Yes, there are services that do not qualify for financial assistance, even if you are approved using the federal poverty guidelines. These include: 

• Hearing aids
• Surgery for cosmetic purposes
• Bariatric surgery
• Any services determined to be elective which do not meet the urgent or emergent criteria
• Co-pays as required by your commercial insurance and Medicaid
• Deductibles and co-insurance
• Non-covered Medicaid services, such as physical therapy

How long is my financial assistance in effect?
Your application will be kept on file for 12 months. However, each service will need to be reviewed for medical necessity before any other financial assistance adjustments will be made to your account. No future services will be pre-approved on the basis of past financial assistance. Future services may be subject to a down payment as required by the scheduling hospital or clinic. Please contact the clinic or hospital to determine your financial responsibility for upcoming services.

If I am denied, how long before I can re-apply?
You can re-apply for the program in six months or you can contact our offices to have your application reconsidered if you have had a change in financial status that was not reflected on your application.