Are there grants that pay medical bills, and who can get them?

Are there government grants for one person's medical bills?

Not in the way most people hope. Some states and counties have put public money into cancelling residents' medical debt Source 11, but these programs choose the debts themselves, and nobody applies to them. Our guide to medical debt relief programs explains how they work.

You can apply for public health coverage such as Medicaid. Our list of organizations that help pay medical bills explains how, and what to ask about bills you already have.

Be careful with anyone who offers you a government grant. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says the government will not contact you out of the blue about a grant and never makes anyone pay to get one, and the only list of all federal grants is free at Grants.gov Source 22.

We don't give grants. The Medical Bill raises money to buy medical debt in bulk and cancel it, so we can't pay or cancel one person's bill on request.

Which foundations help with bills for a specific illness?

The grants we found come from nonprofit funds, most of them set up for one illness or a group of illnesses. They help with specific costs, such as copays, medications or travel to treatment. Each fund sets its own rules, and many open and close as their money comes and goes. We read each one's own pages on the date shown in the sources; we are not connected to any of them, and a listing is not a recommendation.

• HealthWell Foundation. It helps insured people pay copays, premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs through disease funds that open and close. You need health insurance, a medication listed under the fund for your illness and a household income within its limits, which it sets between 300% (HealthWell Foundation, For Patients, published 2026) and 500% (HealthWell Foundation, For Patients, published 2026) of the federal poverty level, depending on household size and local costs. Start at healthwellfoundation.org or call 1-800-675-8416.
• Patient Advocate Foundation, TotalAssist. It gives grants, not loans, toward out-of-pocket costs for listed medications and for services such as lab work, scans, radiation and surgery, through funds for many serious and chronic conditions that open and close. You generally must be diagnosed and in treatment for the fund's condition and be a legal resident treated in the United States or a US territory Source 44. Start at totalassist.org.
• CancerCare. Its financial assistance helps with costs such as transportation, home care, child care, and travel and lodging for treatment, for people in active cancer treatment who live in the United States or Puerto Rico and meet its income guidelines. Money is limited and given first come, first served Source 55. Start at cancercare.org.
• Family Reach. It helps people facing cancer with everyday costs such as food, housing, utilities, medical bills and transportation, with a search for local programs, one-on-one guidance and some grants that a social worker or other health care professional applies for on your behalf Source 77. Start at familyreach.org.
• A Helping Hand. CancerCare's online database of financial resources for people affected by cancer, which you can search for other funds Source 66. Search it at cancercare.org/helpinghand.

Our list of organizations that help pay medical bills covers other kinds of help: hospital assistance, public programs, free advice and legal aid.

What will a fund ask me for?

Expect to show that you fit the fund. The funds above ask for some of these:

• Your diagnosis and treatment. Funds generally ask that your diagnosis be confirmed and that you are in treatment Source 44,Source 55. CancerCare starts with a short phone interview with one of its social workers, and your oncology provider fills in part of the application Source 55.
• Your insurance. HealthWell helps only people who have health insurance, including Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare Source 33.
• Your income and household size, because several of these funds set an income limit Source 33,Source 55.
• Where you live and get treatment, because some funds help only residents treated in the United States or its territories Source 44.
• The bill or the cost you want help with, so keep it at hand.

Some grants are applied for by a social worker or another health professional on your behalf, as at Family Reach Source 77, so ask the social worker or financial counselor at your hospital or clinic to help you apply.

How long do grants take, and can they pay a bill that is already in collections?

The funds we read do not publish how long a decision takes, and they don't say whether they pay a bill that is already with a collector. Ask both questions before you apply. Money can run out: some funds close when their money is spent, and CancerCare gives its limited funding first come, first served Source 33,Source 55.

While you wait, keep the bill from getting worse:

• Ask the hospital for financial assistance even if the bill is old or already with a collector. Many hospitals accept late applications Source 1111. If a nonprofit hospital finds that you qualify, it must refund what you paid above what you owe and take reasonable steps to undo collection actions Source 1111.
• If a collector contacts you, our guide on medical debt in collections explains how to make it prove the debt and pause collection while you dispute it.

What should I try before a grant?

A grant usually covers part of your costs. These steps can lower or cancel the bill itself, so start with them:

1. Hospital financial assistance. Every nonprofit hospital must have a policy for emergency and medically necessary care Source 99, and if you qualify, it may not charge you more than it usually gets from insured patients Source 1010. Our guide to charity care explains how to apply.
2. A check of the bill. Ask for an itemized bill and look for mistakes, as our guide on medical billing errors explains.
3. A payment plan you can keep. Our guide to payment plans explains what to ask for.
4. Negotiation. Our guide on how to negotiate a medical bill gives the order to follow.

How do I avoid grant scams?

• Never pay to get a grant. The FTC says the government never makes anyone pay to get a grant, and that a request to pay with a gift card, a cash reload card, a wire transfer or cryptocurrency is always a scam Source 22.
• Watch for messages out of the blue. The FTC says the government won't contact you out of the blue about a grant Source 22. Treat any call, text or social media message saying you qualify for a grant you never asked for as a warning sign.
• Go to the source. Reach a fund through its own website or the phone number on it, not through a link in a message.
• Report it. Report a grant scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov Source 22.