Benefits · Healthcare
How to apply for Ed Fraser Memorial Hospital Financial Assistance (Baker County Medical Services)
Baker County Medical Services, Inc. (BCMS) — 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity corporation established 1993; operates Ed Fraser Memorial Hospital at 159 N 3rd Street, Macclenny FL 32063; a 25-bed acute-care hospital with a 10-bed 24-hour emergency department serving as the sole hospital safety net in Baker County
Who it's for
Ed Fraser Memorial Hospital is the only acute-care hospital in Baker County — a 25-bed facility with a 10-bed 24/7 emergency department operated by Baker County Medical Services (BCMS), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity corporation established in 1993. BCMS's founding mission states care will be provided 'to all residents regardless of ability to pay.' As a Florida nonprofit hospital, Ed Fraser is required to offer charity care programs and to consider charity care applications for 240 days after the first bill — even for accounts already in collections. While Ed Fraser does not publish a single bright-line FPL threshold on a dedicated FAP page, the modeled income gate uses the conservative 200% Federal Poverty Guideline standard typical of Florida nonprofit community hospitals — patients above this threshold may still qualify based on individualized hardship assessment. Apply by calling the hospital business office at 904-259-3151 (main hospital line) or visit the hospital in person for a financial counseling appointment.
Ed Fraser is a small 25-bed rural community hospital — for tertiary, specialty, or trauma care, Baker County seniors are typically referred to UF Health Jacksonville, Baptist Health Jacksonville (Duval County), or Lake City Medical Center (Columbia County). When Ed Fraser refers a patient to a Jacksonville-area facility, the receiving hospital's FAP applies (UF Health ~200% FPL individualized, Baptist Jax 300% FPL free care). The modeled $31,200 income gate uses the 200% FPL single-person 2026 threshold as a conservative Florida community-hospital standard; Ed Fraser's specific written policy is not published on a dedicated FAP page so individualized hardship assessment is the practical determinant. Florida law's 240-day post-billing application window applies — seniors who receive a bill they can't pay should request a charity care application even if collections has been engaged. BCCOA Transportation's Duval/Columbia shuttle (fl.baker.bccoa_transit) is the practical way to reach those referral hospitals.
What you'll need
- Completed BCMS Financial Assistance Application (request from hospital business office)
- Proof of household income (recent pay stubs, Social Security award letter, tax return, SSA-1099)
- Proof of family/household size
- Photo identification
- Documentation of uninsured status (insurance denial letter, Medicaid denial, or proof no insurance)
Where to apply
Apply online: official application
By phone: 904-259-3151
Renewals
per encounter; documentation refresh required for ongoing patients
Not sure if you qualify? Run a free check first.
Find my benefitsNot legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.