Financial Assistance

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) is committed to giving you high quality care no matter your insurance or financial situation.

What is patient financial assistance (PFA)?

PFA can help you pay for the care you need. It covers most medically necessary care. It can help if you are uninsured or if you have insurance but need help paying your out-of-pocket costs.

Who can get financial assistance?

To get PFA, you must be a resident of Vermont or the counties of Rensselaer (New York), Washington (New York) or Berkshire (Massachusetts). This includes students, non-citizens, and those who are unhoused. People who are employed in Vermont but live in another state also qualify. There is no residency restriction if the services provided were the result of a medical emergency.

Your household income must be less than the limit.

Income limits

The amount you qualify for will be based on the size of your household and your household’s annual income. A patient’s household includes the patient, spouse, dependent, children and unmarried couples with a mutual child living together. For most people, your household size will be the same as the number of people listed on your tax return. You may qualify for partial or full PFA.

  • Your household income must be less than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level.
  • Your liquid assets must be less than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. Liquid assets do not include primary residence, retirement accounts or pension plans.
  • Catastrophic financial assistance is available if your income is less than 600% of the Federal Poverty Level and your medical bills exceed 20% of your household income.

For questions and help with your application, or if you need free language support, call our Billing Office, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm.

PFA information and forms

Spanish language information and forms