How to Apply for Financial Assistance & Medical Debt Relief at Catawba Valley Medical Center (what families should know)

Catawba Valley Health System’s Financial Assistance Policy is meant to help uninsured and underinsured patients, and it applies to both Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) and Catawba Valley Medical Group (CVMG). Just as important: CVHS states it provides care regardless of ability to pay, so you can ask for help even if you’re worried you won’t qualify or you’re not sure where to start.

Non Income Presumptive

• ✓ Homelessness
• ✓ Mental incapacitation with no one to act on the patient’s behalf
• ✓ Enrollment in Medicaid for the patient or a child in the household
• ✓ Enrollment in another means-tested public assistance program

Starting January 1, 2026, CVMC says it will deem patients presumptively eligible for financial assistance if their household income is up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) - as long as they don’t already qualify under one of the non-income criteria. CVMC also states it will partner with a third party to evaluate household income for this process.

If you’re estimated at up to 300% of the FPL under presumptive eligibility, CVMC’s policy says your balance will be adjusted at a 100% discount. In plain terms, that means the eligible balance is reduced to $0 under this policy’s presumptive process.

If the patient is currently enrolled in Medicaid, CVMC’s policy includes a one-time “lookback” debt relief program: unpaid patient medical debt dating back to January 1, 2014 can be relieved by reclassifying it as charity. There’s one big exception called out in the policy - balances placed with Access One are excluded from this debt relief.

How to Apply Contact

• ✓ CVHS Medical Eligibility Specialists
• ✓ Patient Financial Advocates
• ✓ Customer Service Supervisor

Once you’ve turned in a completed financial assistance application, CVMC’s policy says you’ll get a written conditional or final determination within 30 days. If you’re waiting and the clock is ticking, the most practical move is to confirm whether your application is considered “completed,” since that’s what starts the 30-day timeline.

When financial assistance is approved through CVMC’s application process, the policy states the patient - and qualified family members - are approved for a 100% discount. That’s the outcome you’re working toward: a full adjustment rather than a partial write-down.

Practical Checklist Docs Steps

• ✓ Ask for financial assistance even if you’re unsure you qualify - CVHS states it provides care regardless of ability to pay, and the policy applies to both CVMC and CVMG.
• ✓ Call and ask to speak with a Medical Eligibility Specialist or a Patient Financial Advocate to start the process.
• ✓ Have basic paperwork ready so you can complete the application without delays (for example: proof of household income, proof of Medicaid enrollment if applicable, and a reliable mailing address for written notices).
• ✓ If you’re eligible under a non-income presumptive category (like homelessness or Medicaid enrollment for the patient/child in the household), say that up front.
• ✓ Keep copies of anything you submit, and write down the date you turned in a completed application so you can track the 30-day determination window.

Two caveats are worth keeping in mind as you plan. First, the one-time Medicaid lookback relief specifically excludes account balances placed with Access One, so those won’t be handled through that particular debt-relief step. Second, CVHS states it can reverse financial assistance adjustments and hold the guarantor responsible for payment if the information provided is determined to be false or if proof shows compensation was received for the services from another source - so it’s worth taking a few extra minutes to make sure what you submit is accurate and complete.