# Maine — State minimum standards for hospital financial assistance (charity care)

For Maine, statute is Title 22, §1716-A; income level for free care is equal to or less than 200% of the federal poverty level; which hospitals must comply is A hospital shall, in accordance with rules adopted by the department, provide free health care services to eligible patients who are state residents in accordance with this section; basis for the income test is federal poverty level; notes is In accordance with rules adopted by the department, a hospital shall offer a patient with a documented family income that does not exceed 400% of the federal poverty level a payment plan that requires monthly out-of-pocket payments that do not exceed 4% of the patient's monthly family income that is not exempt from attachment or garnishment under state law, verified against its source on 2026-08-30.

- **State:** Maine _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Statute:** Title 22, §1716-A _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Income level for free care:** equal to or less than 200% of the federal poverty level _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Which hospitals must comply:** A hospital shall, in accordance with rules adopted by the department, provide free health care services to eligible patients who are state residents in accordance with this section. _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Basis for the income test:** federal poverty level _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Notes:** In accordance with rules adopted by the department, a hospital shall offer a patient with a documented family income that does not exceed 400% of the federal poverty level a payment plan that requires monthly out-of-pocket payments that do not exceed 4% of the patient's monthly family income that is not exempt from attachment or garnishment under state law. _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> A hospital shall provide free, medically necessary services for patients whose family income is equal to or less than 200% of the federal poverty level.

## Source

- https://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/Statutes/22/title22sec1716-A.html

Last verified: 2026-08-30. Review by: 2027-02-23.
Part of [State minimum standards for hospital financial assistance (charity care)](https://referencesource.org/state-hospital-financial-assistance-thresholds/).