Benefits · Healthcare

How to apply for HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital (Effingham) — Financial Assistance (Effingham County)

Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) — Illinois hospital financial assistance

Who it's for

Effingham County's hospital is HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham — a 133-bed regional hospital, part of the Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), with emergency, inpatient, surgical, cancer, and outpatient services (Effingham is a regional medical hub for east-central/southeastern Illinois). HSHS offers a Financial Assistance / Charity Care program 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 HSHS Patient Financial Services (217-347-1495) or at https://www.hshs.org/st-anthonys.

Effingham = HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital (Effingham, 133-bed, HSHS — hshs.org reused; regional hub). Illinois LAW mandates financial assistance (free care to ~200-300% FPL).

What you'll need

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

Where to apply

Apply online: official application

By phone: 217-347-1495

Renewals

per-encounter or annual

Official source →Last verified · June 14, 2026

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Not legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.