How to Negotiate Medical Bills in Washington State

Washington State has the most comprehensive charity care law in the United States. Under state law, hospitals must provide free care to patients with household income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level. This threshold is significantly higher than the typical 200% FPL requirement at most hospitals nationwide.

Providence, the largest hospital system in Washington, exceeds even the state minimum by providing free care at 300% FPL. Many Washington hospitals extend partial discounts to patients up to 400% FPL. The state also mandates that hospitals make reasonable efforts to determine charity care eligibility before pursuing collection actions.

Washington law requires hospitals to screen all emergency department patients for charity care eligibility and to provide financial assistance information in the patient's preferred language. If a Washington hospital failed to inform you of their charity care program, you may have additional grounds for financial assistance.

BillDelete generates financial assistance applications and negotiation letters that specifically cite Washington's charity care statutes, which provide stronger protections than federal law alone. This state-specific approach gives Washington patients particularly strong leverage.