How to apply for Hospital Financial Assistance (Reachable Hospitals) — Putnam County

Who it's for

Putnam County — Illinois's smallest county by population — has NO hospital of its own. The nearest hospitals are OSF Saint Elizabeth Medical Center (Peru and Ottawa, LaSalle County) and Perry Memorial Hospital (Princeton, Bureau County), with OSF HealthCare the dominant regional system. OSF 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 OSF Patient Financial Services (855-673-2240) or at https://www.osfhealthcare.org/billing/financial-assistance/.

What you'll need

• Proof of household income
• Proof of Putnam 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