How to apply for SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital (Centralia) + Salem Township Hospital — Financial Assistance (Marion County)

Who it's for

Marion County has two hospitals: SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital in Centralia (a 115-bed hospital, part of the SSM Health system) and Salem Township Hospital in Salem (a 25-bed critical-access hospital). SSM Health offers a Financial Assistance / Charity Care program with discounts on a sliding scale for income-eligible patients, and Salem Township Hospital has its own charity-care policy. 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 SSM Health Patient Financial Services (618-899-1000) or at https://www.ssmhealth.com/locations/illinois.

What you'll need

• Proof of household income
• Proof of Marion 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