Benefits · Healthcare
How to apply for Lower Keys Medical Center — Charity Care + Financial Assistance Program
Lower Keys Medical Center (LKMC) — 167-bed acute-care hospital at 5900 College Road, Key West FL 33040; the principal hospital serving Monroe County's Lower and Middle Keys; a Public Hospital governed by The Lower Florida Keys Hospital District and its Board of Commissioners; administers Charity Care + Uninsured + Catastrophic Care Discount programs for income-eligible patients
Who it's for
Lower Keys Medical Center (LKMC) is the primary acute-care hospital serving Monroe County's Lower Keys and Middle Keys, located in Key West. LKMC is a 167-bed hospital with 24-hour emergency department, laboratory, radiology, and medical transport services. LKMC is a PUBLIC HOSPITAL governed by The Lower Florida Keys Hospital District (a Florida special district with its own Board of Commissioners) — structurally similar to Lee Health (Lee County), Sarasota Memorial (Sarasota), and Halifax Health (Volusia) public-hospital-district peers in the FL catalog. LKMC's Financial Assistance Program offers THREE discount tiers: (1) Charity Care Discount based on multiples of the U.S. Federal Poverty Guidelines for uninsured/underinsured patients ineligible for government assistance; (2) Uninsured Discount for patients without insurance who don't qualify for other assistance; (3) Catastrophic Care Discount when bills exceed a percentage of gross annual income. Complete and submit the Financial Assistance Program (FAP) Application with supporting documentation at time of service or anytime during the billing cycle. Call (305) 294-5531 for the Patient Access Director or Financial Counselor. For Upper Keys residents (Key Largo, Tavernier), Mariners Hospital is the closer facility but is geographically far from LKMC; for Middle Keys (Marathon), Fishermen's Community Hospital serves locally. LKMC remains the main hospital for the entire Lower Florida Keys Hospital District jurisdiction.
LKMC is a public hospital district (The Lower Florida Keys Hospital District) — its mission obligation includes serving uninsured/underinsured Monroe County residents, comparable to other Florida public hospital districts in the catalog (Lee Health, Sarasota Memorial, Halifax Health). The 200% FPL income gate is conservative modeling — LKMC's actual policy uses 'multiples of the Federal Poverty Guidelines' that vary by discount tier; for full charity care, the actual income gate may be tighter (often 100-150% FPL at peer hospitals). The Catastrophic Care Discount is a distinctive third tier — when total household medical bills exceed a percentage of annual income, patients qualify even if regular income would put them above charity care threshold. Upper Keys residents (Key Largo, Tavernier) should consider Mariners Hospital (Tavernier) as a closer alternative; Middle Keys residents in Marathon have Fishermen's Community Hospital. For tertiary or specialized care not available in the Keys, patients are referred to mainland Miami-Dade facilities (UM/Jackson Memorial, Baptist Health) — coordinate transit carefully due to ~150-mile distance from Key West.
What you'll need
- Completed LKMC Financial Assistance Program (FAP) Application
- Proof of all household income (Social Security award letter, pension statement, pay stubs, SSI award letter, tax return)
- Proof of insurance status (Medicaid denial letter, lack of insurance documentation)
- Photo identification
- Proof of Monroe County or service-area residency (utility bill, lease, or government correspondence)
- For Catastrophic Care Discount: documentation of total household bills relative to gross annual income
Where to apply
Apply online: official application
By phone: 305-294-5531
Renewals
per encounter; documentation refresh required for ongoing care
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