Benefits · Healthcare
How to apply for AdventHealth Wauchula Financial Assistance (Hardee County)
AdventHealth Wauchula (formerly Florida Hospital Wauchula) — Adventist Health System; primary acute-care hospital in Hardee County, supported by the AdventHealth Heartland Foundation
Who it's for
AdventHealth Wauchula (formerly Florida Hospital Wauchula) is the dominant hospital in Hardee County, providing community-focused care to Wauchula, Bowling Green, Zolfo Springs, and the surrounding rural agricultural region. Despite being a small community hospital in a tiny rural county, AdventHealth Wauchula applies the same generous system-wide §501(r) Financial Assistance Policy as the larger AdventHealth campuses across Florida. Under the AdventHealth policy: patients with annual household income at or below 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Guideline receive a 100 percent reduction in financial responsibility for emergent or medically necessary care. Beyond charity care, AdventHealth provides Amounts Generally Billed (AGB) protection for uninsured patients — billing is automatically capped at insurance-equivalent rates. The AdventHealth Heartland Foundation, which has received significant community donations including a recent $100K gift from Wauchula State Bank toward a new facility, supports AdventHealth Wauchula operations. Hardee residents needing specialty/tertiary care are typically referred to AdventHealth Sebring (the larger Highlands hospital) or AdventHealth Orlando (the regional referral center). Call 800-462-0490 for financial assistance application.
AdventHealth Wauchula's financial assistance follows the system-wide AdventHealth policy: full 100% charity at or below 250% FPL ($39,000 single 2026, scaled by household size); AGB protection automatically for all uninsured patients regardless of income. Wauchula is a community hospital — patients needing complex specialty or tertiary care are typically referred to AdventHealth Sebring (Highlands), AdventHealth Heart of Florida (Polk), or AdventHealth Orlando under the same financial assistance policy. AdventHealth's vendor-organization partnerships also help patients enroll in State Medicaid, county programs, and Disability Eligibility — free confidential assistance available through Wauchula's patient resources. AdventHealth accepts Medicaid and Medicare with offered payment plan options.
What you'll need
- Completed AdventHealth Financial Assistance Application
- Proof of household income (pay stubs, Social Security award letter, tax return, SSA-1099)
- Proof of family/household size
- Photo identification
- Documentation of insurance status (or proof of uninsured status for AGB protection)
- Mail to: AdventHealth, PO Box 935979, Atlanta, GA 31193-5979
Where to apply
Apply online: official application
By phone: 800-462-0490
Renewals
per encounter; annual recertification 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.