Illinois

Statutory floor

Uninsured patients: free care on charges over $150 at or below 200% FPL; discounted charges (capped relative to cost / Medicare) from 200% to 600% FPL. The statute is uninsured-only. Insured patients use the hospital FAP and 501(r). Medical debt may not appear on Illinois credit reports. Lawsuit window on written contracts is long (10 years).

Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act, 210 ILCS 89/10 · compiled September 2026

Rule	This state
Free-care floor	200% FPL
Discount / eligibility floor	600% FPL
Covers insured patients	Uninsured-focused statute
Which hospitals	Generally all licensed hospitals
Medicaid expansion	Yes — adults to 138% FPL
Screen before collections	Yes
Credit reports	Statewide ban (FCRA-preemption fights ongoing)
Debt sales	Not banned
Home liens	Not banned
Wage garnishment	Tighter than the federal 25% cap
Interest on medical debt	No special cap located
Collection hold	No extra state waiting period
Lawsuit clock	10 years · 735 ILCS 5/13-206 (written); 5 years oral (5/13-205)

2026 poverty line here

Alaska and Hawaii use their own HHS tables. Everyone else uses the 48-state and D.C. figures, effective January 2026.

Household	100%	Free floor	Discount floor
1	$15,960	$31,920	$95,760
2	$21,640	$43,280	$129,840
3	$27,320	$54,640	$163,920
4	$33,000	$66,000	$198,000
5	$38,680	$77,360	$232,080
6	$44,360	$88,720	$266,160

What to do

01 Uninsured at or under 200% FPL: the 100% discount is statutory, not optional.
02 Uninsured between 200% and 600% FPL: demand the statutory uninsured discount (not chargemaster).
03 Insured: the 600% floor does not apply. Use FAP, the EOB, and DOI external review.
04 Medical debt should not be on an Illinois credit report. Written-contract lawsuits can run 10 years — do not ignore old hospital paper.

Appeals

Illinois surprise-billing protections plus the No Surprises Act.

Insurance: Illinois Department of Insurance — external review

Medicaid: HFS fair hearing.

Medicare is federal regardless of state: redetermination, reconsideration, ALJ, Appeals Council, then district court.

Cite this in a letter

If I am uninsured, I request free or discounted care under the Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act, 210 ILCS 89/10 — 100% discount at or below 200% of FPL and a statutory discount through 600% of FPL. Please also run a 501(r) FAP review.

Put a Illinois bill in the machine.

The estimate will use this state’s floors. The letters will cite Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act.

Start a Illinois case

Illinois Attorney General

Federal overlay — every state

501(r)
501(c)(3) hospital organizations must publish a Financial Assistance Policy, a plain-language summary, and generally may not take extraordinary collection actions (selling the debt, reporting it, liens, lawsuits) until they have made reasonable efforts to determine FAP eligibility.
No Surprises Act
Emergency services, air ambulance, and many out-of-network clinicians at in-network facilities cannot balance-bill beyond in-network cost-sharing. Independent dispute resolution is between the plan and the provider — not a reason to pay the sticker rate.
FDCPA
15 U.S.C. § 1692g. Within 30 days of first collector contact, demand validation. Until validated, collection and credit reporting should stop. Partial payment can restart a state’s statute of limitations.
EMTALA
Emergency departments must screen and stabilize regardless of ability to pay. An ER bill is not an agreement that chargemaster rates are the cash price.
Medicare appeals
Five levels: redetermination (MAC, 120 days), reconsideration (QIC), ALJ at OMHA, Medicare Appeals Council, then federal district court. A remaining patient balance is often a claim the provider still needs to work.
Credit bureaus
The CFPB’s 2025 medical-debt reporting rule was vacated in July 2025. Industry practice still generally omits paid medical collections and unpaid balances under $500. Unpaid medical debt over $500 can appear after a delay unless a state ban applies. FCRA-preemption fights over those state bans are ongoing.