How to apply for Perry Memorial Hospital (Princeton) + OSF — Financial Assistance (Bureau County)

Who it's for

Bureau County's hospital is Perry Memorial Hospital in Princeton — an independent community/critical-access hospital with emergency, inpatient, surgical, and outpatient services; OSF HealthCare also serves the county (OSF acquired the former St. Margaret's Hospital in Spring Valley, in Bureau County, and runs OSF Saint Elizabeth in nearby Peru). Both Perry Memorial and OSF offer Financial Assistance / Charity Care programs with discounts on a sliding scale for income-eligible patients. DISTINCTIVE to Illinois: state law (the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act + Fair Patient Billing Act) REQUIRES hospitals to provide financial assistance — uninsured patients at or below 200% (rural/critical-access) or 300% (urban) of the Federal Poverty Level generally receive free care, with capped discounts above that. Most Illinois hospitals have a robust charity-care policy as a result. Apply through Perry Memorial (815-875-2811) or OSF Patient Financial Services (855-673-2240); OSF policy at https://www.osfhealthcare.org/billing/financial-assistance/.

What you'll need

• Proof of household income
• Proof of Bureau County / Illinois residency
• Photo identification
• Proof of uninsured status or insurance gap
• Hospital bill or pre-treatment estimate

Where to apply

Renewals

per-encounter or annual