Mount Sinai West is part of the Mount Sinai Hospitals Group and is covered by its shared Financial Assistance Policy. The details below come from Mount Sinai’s own published summary of that policy.
Who qualifies
Assistance is for patients with limited incomes who have no health insurance, or who have used up their insurance benefits. Where you live changes what is covered:
- Anywhere in New York State — a discount on emergency care.
- New York City residents — a discount on non-emergency medically necessary care as well.
The summary states plainly that you cannot be denied emergency care or other medically necessary care because you need financial assistance.
Income limits, and a caution about the figures
Mount Sinai publishes a table of income limits by family size. The published table states it is based on the 2018 Federal Poverty Guidelines. The guidelines are updated every year and have risen substantially since, so the current cut-offs are almost certainly higher than these numbers.
Treat the table as the shape of the programme, not as this year’s figures, and ask the hospital for the current limits:
| Family size | Annual family income (2018 basis) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Up to $48,561 |
| 2 | Up to $65,841 |
| 3 | Up to $83,121 |
| 4 | Up to $100,401 |
| 5 | Up to $117,681 |
| 6 | Up to $134,961 |
| 7 | Up to $152,541 |
| 8 | Up to $169,521 |
The size of the discount varies with income and family size. Even on the 2018 basis these are not low thresholds — a family of four up to roughly $100,000 was within range.
Deadline
You have 240 days after your first bill to submit the application. You can also apply earlier: before an appointment, while you are at the hospital receiving care, or when the bill arrives.
Two protections worth knowing
- Mount Sinai must send a decision letter within 30 days of a complete application.
- You cannot be required to pay the bill while your application is being considered. If you are pressed for payment during that period, the policy is on your side.
Where to apply
Applications go to the financial counselling department at the hospital that treated you.
Department of Patient Financial Counseling, 1000 Tenth Avenue, Room 2H, New York, NY 10019. Phone (212) 523-7816.
Mount Sinai also publishes the full list of covered facilities at hospitalassistance.org.