Illinois

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.

What to do

1. 01 Uninsured at or under 200% FPL: the 100% discount is statutory, not optional.
2. 02 Uninsured between 200% and 600% FPL: demand the statutory uninsured discount (not chargemaster).
3. 03 Insured: the 600% floor does not apply. Use FAP, the EOB, and DOI external review.
4. 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.

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.

  Official source

• 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.

  Official source

• FDCPA

  15 U.S.C. § 1692g. Within 30 days of first collector contact, demand validation. Until it is validated, the collector should stop collecting. Partial payment can restart a state’s statute of limitations.

  Official source

• 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.

  Official source

• 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.

  Official source

• 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.

  Official source

Sources

Official government sources for the Illinois information on this page. UNDUE does not represent any government entity.

• 210 ILCS 89/10 (Hospital Uninsured Patient Discount Act: free and discounted care)
• 735 ILCS 5/13-206 (lawsuit clock: 10 years, written contracts)
• 735 ILCS 5/13-205 (lawsuit clock: 5 years, oral contracts)
• 815 ILCS 505/2EEEE (medical debt credit-reporting ban)
• 735 ILCS 5/12-803 (wage deduction cap: 15% of gross)
• 215 ILCS 5/356z.3a (state surprise-billing rule)
• Illinois Department of Insurance (file an external review)
• Illinois HFS / ABE appeals portal (Medicaid fair hearing request)
• Illinois Attorney General
• 2026 federal poverty guidelines (U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, published on HealthCare.gov)
• Medicaid and CHIP by state (HealthCare.gov)
• 15 U.S.C. § 1673 federal wage-garnishment cap (GovInfo)