Help Paying Hospital Bills at Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center
Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center offers financial assistance so that medical bills do not keep people from getting the care they need. Patients who qualify can receive 100% financial assistance for medically necessary services, under policies Penn State Health introduced on July 1, 2016. For people who qualify, the hospital limits what can be charged for emergency or other medically necessary care to "Amounts Generally Billed," and it does not take extraordinary collection actions before making reasonable efforts to determine whether a person qualifies for financial assistance.
The page does not print income limits or other eligibility rules. It links to the Federal Poverty Guidelines and to the written policy that covers this hospital, the PFS-053 Financial Assistance Policy for Holy Spirit Medical Center and St. Joseph Medical Center, along with a Plain Language Summary and Financial Assistance Application. Those documents are posted in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Nepali, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish and Vietnamese at pennstatehealth.org/patients-visitors/billing-medical-records/financial-assistance. Care at other Penn State Health locations falls under a separate policy, PFS-051.
Start by reading the policy and Plain Language Summary and filling out the Financial Assistance Application. To speak with a financial counselor at St. Joseph Medical Center, call 610-378-2277. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Financial counselors for all other Penn State Health affiliations can be reached at 717-531-1740. The hospital is at 2500 Bernville Rd, Reading, PA 19605, and its general number is 610-378-2000.
The page does not say where to send the completed application, what papers to bring or how long a decision takes, so ask the financial counselor when you call.
Other help with a balance is also offered. Penn State Health has added financial counselors and customer service representatives to assist patients and consumers with new and existing programs. It does not charge interest on health care balances or a fee for carrying a balance. If paying for prescription drugs is a problem, staff can connect you with a pharmacy specialist who works to find equal, low-cost prescriptions or other pharmacy programs directly from drug companies. Four Diamonds, a charity, offers financial assistance for children diagnosed with cancer before the age of 18 and often helps with out-of-pocket medical expenses, lodging and transportation. The page also points to information on the No Surprises Act and your rights and protections against surprise medical bills.
Source: pennstatehealth.org/patients-visitors/billing-medical-rec…, read September 18, 2026.
The details
In Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center’s words
Medical bills shouldn’t keep you from getting the care you need. That’s why we offer financial assistance. In compliance with IRS Code 501(r), we: Have a written financial assistance policy (FAP) and “plain language summary” of the policy, available to the public Limit the amounts that can be charged for emergency or other medically necessary care to individuals who qualify for financial assistance, charging only “Amounts Generally Billed” for such care Refrain from extraordinary collection…
Organization
Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center
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This listing summarizes publicly available information from pennstatehealth.org/patients-visitors/billing-medical-rec…. Last recorded review: September 18, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.