What If I Can't Afford to Pay My Bill?
Atlantic General Hospital and Health System is committed to providing quality care, personalized service and education to improve individual and community health. We continuously seek to be the leader in promoting access to our services for the residents and visitors of Worcester County and the surrounding region.
Payment of our services can be made in any number of ways. Our primary source of payment is through patients' insurance coverage. It is important for you to understand the terms of your insurance coverage. Familiarizing yourself with your insurance coverage will help you better understand your hospital bill. If you have a bill or a balance that you cannot afford, this page outlines some options available to you.
Financial Help Options
Financial help can be made available to you through a variety of resources:
- Family Assistance
If you have a balance remaining after your insurance has paid or if you do not have health insurance and cannot afford your bill, rest assured that we will exhaust every effort possible to resolve your bill. We have financial counselors who will work with you to investigate if there is private funding available, family to help, and/or credit cards that can be used.
- Payment Arrangements
If family assistance is not available as an option for you, we have experienced patient accounting staff on hand to assist you in arranging a payment plan. Please call 866-905-2100 for more information.
- State Medical Assistance
- Medicaid - If you are an inpatient and cannot afford to pay your bill and if you meet the minimum requirements of Medicaid, we have trained staff available to help you in the application process. Or you can call 800-492-5231 or access Medicaid services on their website.
- Primary Adult Care (PAC) – If you have an emergency room visit or need to see a primary doctor and cannot afford your bill (and you meet the minimum requirements for Maryland’s PAC program), we have trained staff who can assist you in the application process. Or you can contact Maryland PAC Program at 800-226-2142.
- Maryland Children's Health Program (MCHP)
Children under the age of 19 or pregnant women may qualify for MCHP. Patients who qualify for this program will need to apply with the Worcester County Health department. Call 410-632-1100 or visit their website for more information. Assistance in completing the application will be provided.
- Financial Assistance
If no other financial avenue is available to you, you may qualify to have your medical bills for medically necessary services paid under our Financial Assistance policy. See our guidelines for reference. You will need to complete the Financial Assistance application, which can be found at any of the AGH/HS facilities or by calling 410-629-6025. Financial assistance approvals are active for up to one year from the date of approval of your application. If there are additional bills during this period of time, they may be included in your original approval.
If I have already received my medical bill can I still apply for financial assistance?
Yes, you can still apply for the Financial Assistant even after receiving your bill but patients are strongly urged to apply for financial assistance before they receive care. However, you can apply for assistance even if your bill has been sent to collections.
Why do I need to look for other option of funding before I receive financial assistance?
Patients in need of financial assistance should first utilize all resources for which they are eligible and if no other financial avenue is available to you than this ensures AGH resources will be available to patients who don’t qualify for other financial help.
What factors determine the financial assistance that I will receive?
Patients are asked to pay on a sliding-fee scale depending on household income, household size, and other personal circumstances. For more information see the guidelines for your reference.
When I will come to know about the financial assistance that I will receive?
The amount of financial assistance will be determined within 10-15 working days of submitting all your application and documents; you will receive confirmation after receiving all your documents and also processing of your application.
Additional Questions?
If you would like to confidentially discuss any of this information, please feel free to contact one of the following:
AGH Financial Counseling
(410) 641-9759
AGH Patient Accounting
(410) 641-9101
AGH Financial Assistance Program
(410) 629-6025
Primary Adult Care (PAC)
(800) 226-2142
Maryland Medical Assistance (Medicaid)
(800) 492-5231 or (410) 767-5800
Maryland Children's Health Program
(800) 456-8900