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

For New Jersey, statute is N.J.A.C. 10:52-11.8; income level for free care is less than or equal to 200 percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines; highest income the rule still protects is greater than 200 percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines but not more than 300 percent of these guidelines; required discounts by income band is Income as a percentage of HHS Poverty Guidelines Percentage of Charges Paid by Applicant >200 to 225 20 >225 to 250 40 >250 to 275 60 >275 to 300 80; deadline to apply is at any time up to one year from the date of outpatient service or inpatient discharge, verified against its source on 2026-08-30.

- **State:** New Jersey _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Statute:** N.J.A.C. 10:52-11.8 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Income level for free care:** less than or equal to 200 percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Highest income the rule still protects:** greater than 200 percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines but not more than 300 percent of these guidelines _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Required discounts by income band:** Income as a percentage of HHS Poverty Guidelines Percentage of Charges Paid by Applicant >200 to 225 20 >225 to 250 40 >250 to 275 60 >275 to 300 80 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Deadline to apply:** at any time up to one year from the date of outpatient service or inpatient discharge _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Basis for the income test:** HHS Poverty Guidelines _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Notes:** If qualified medical expenses, as defined for the purposes of Federal income tax deductibility, for applicants eligible for reduced charge charity care exceeds 30 percent of the applicant's or family's, if applicable, annual gross income as calculated by (e) below, such excess will be eligible for 100 percent coverage under charity care. _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> A person whose individual or, if applicable, family income, as determined by (e) below, is less than or equal to 200 percent of the HHS Poverty Guidelines shall be eligible for charity care for necessary health services without cost.

## Source

- https://www.nj.gov/health/hcf/documents/charitycare/02-27-26-charity-care-section.pdf

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/).