Benefits · Healthcare
How to apply for AdventHealth Financial Assistance Policy (Highlands — AdventHealth Sebring + Lake Placid)
AdventHealth — Adventist Health System; primary Highlands campuses are AdventHealth Sebring and AdventHealth Lake Placid, both serving Highlands County residents
Who it's for
AdventHealth is the dominant hospital system in Highlands County, operating AdventHealth Sebring as the primary acute-care hospital plus AdventHealth Lake Placid as a smaller community hospital serving the southern Highlands corridor. AdventHealth's system-wide §501(r) Financial Assistance Policy applies at both Highlands campuses under the same terms as at AdventHealth Orlando, Altamonte Springs, Kissimmee, Celebration, Ocala, Heart of Florida, and other Florida AdventHealth hospitals. 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 the average of accounts paid in full over the past 12 months for Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and contracted commercial insurance. Uninsured AdventHealth patients are never billed more than this amount, regardless of charity-care application. AdventHealth's 250% FPL charity threshold is the most generous standard policy in the modeled FL cluster. Call 800-462-0490 for assistance.
AdventHealth Financial Assistance is per-encounter and applies to emergent or medically necessary care only. Full 100% charity is available for patients at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Guideline (the modeled $39,000 figure is 250% FPL for a single-person household 2026; scaled up by household size). Uninsured patients automatically receive Amounts Generally Billed (AGB) protection regardless of income — uninsured bills are capped at insurance-equivalent rates, typically a 60-80% reduction from list charges. AdventHealth Sebring is the primary Highlands hospital for inpatient/emergency care; AdventHealth Lake Placid is a smaller community hospital serving the southern part of the county. For specialty/tertiary care, Highlands patients are often referred to AdventHealth Orlando (the regional tertiary referral center) — Cleveland Clinic Florida's Treasure Coast network does NOT serve Highlands.
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.