Benefits · Healthcare
How to apply for George E. Weems Memorial Hospital Financial Assistance
George E. Weems Memorial Hospital — independent not-for-profit special-district acute-care hospital operated by Hospital Fund of Franklin County (a Florida special district); located at 135 Avenue G, Apalachicola FL 32320; principal hospital safety net serving Franklin County and the broader Apalachicola Bay coastal region; complemented by Weems Medical Center West satellite primary-care facility
Who it's for
George E. Weems Memorial Hospital is the principal acute-care hospital serving Franklin County, located at 135 Avenue G in Apalachicola. The hospital is operated by Hospital Fund of Franklin County — a Florida special district nonprofit structure — and is supported by the Weems Memorial Healthcare Foundation (a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt fundraising arm). Weems Memorial offers services to uninsured patients on a SLIDING SCALE methodology based on the current year Federal Poverty Guideline (FPG) — a more granular approach than the binary 'qualified vs not' patterns used by some peer hospitals. The hospital's explicit policy: 'no one will be denied access to services due to inability to pay.' As a Florida nonprofit hospital, Weems Memorial is required to offer charity care programs and must consider charity care applications for up to 240 days after the first bill. Most hospitals will not proactively tell patients about charity care eligibility — patients should explicitly ASK about it when receiving services or bills. The Weems Medical Center West satellite facility in Apalachicola provides primary care and family medicine, extending the safety-net's coverage beyond acute hospital services. Apply by calling the hospital at 850-653-8853.
Weems Memorial is a small rural critical-access community hospital — for tertiary, specialty, complex cardiac, trauma, or oncology care, Franklin County seniors are typically referred to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare or Capital Regional Medical Center (about 90 minutes north) or Ascension Sacred Heart Bay (Panama City, about 90 minutes west). When Weems refers a patient, the receiving hospital's FAP applies separately. The DISTINCTIVE sliding-scale FPG methodology means partial discounts can apply at multiple income levels rather than a single bright-line cutoff — patients with income above the standard 200% FPL threshold may still receive meaningful discounts. The 'no one denied for inability to pay' explicit policy is genuinely valuable but requires patient initiative — ask about financial assistance when receiving services. The Weems Medical Center West satellite primary-care facility means non-emergency care can be accessed locally without the bigger commitment of a hospital visit. Florida law's 240-day post-billing application window applies — apply for charity care even if collections has engaged.
What you'll need
- Completed Weems Memorial Hospital Financial Assistance Application (request from 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 insurance status (insurance denial letter, Medicaid denial, or proof of uninsured status)
Where to apply
Apply online: official application
By phone: 850-653-8853
Renewals
per encounter; documentation refresh required for ongoing patients
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Find my benefitsNot legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.