Updated September 2, 2026. Quick answer: Washington hospitals may not use a charity-care application procedure that places an unreasonable burden on the patient or guarantor.
This guide is limited to the cited Washington hospital-assistance source and its stated scope.
What changes in Washington
- Washington hospitals may not use a charity-care application procedure that places an unreasonable burden on the patient or guarantor.
- At a category-(a) hospital, the full patient-responsibility amount is assistance through 300% FPL, followed by 75% at 301%–350% and 50% at 351%–400% FPL.
- At another hospital, the full amount is assistance through 200% FPL, followed by 75% at 201%–250% and 50% at 251%–300% FPL.
Where this rule stops
The hospital category must be identified first, and the statute permits specified asset-related reductions to partial discounts.
How to verify before you apply
- Identify the hospital or facility covered by the source and obtain its current policy.
- Ask for the current written policy and application instructions.
- Compare the policy with the official source below before relying on any threshold, discount, or deadline.
Related hospital-assistance guides
Primary source
Read Revised Code of Washington § 70.170.060(5). Verify the current official text and the facility’s current policy before acting; this is a source-backed planning guide, not individualized legal advice.