Should I crowdfund a medical bill, and what should I try first?

What should I try before crowdfunding?

Ask the hospital for financial assistance first. Every nonprofit hospital must have a written financial assistance policy Source 11, and it must cover emergency and other medically necessary care Source 22. If you qualify, the hospital may not charge you more than the amounts generally billed to people with insurance Source 33.

You can apply long after the first bill. A nonprofit hospital must accept applications for at least 240 days (IRS, published July 2, 2026).

Then work on the bill itself:

• Check it for mistakes. Ask for an itemized bill; our guide to the itemized medical bill shows what to look for.
• Ask for a lower amount or a payment plan. Our guide on how to negotiate a medical bill has the steps.
• Check whether Medicaid can cover recent care. See our guide to Medicaid retroactive coverage.
• Look for groups that help with costs for your illness. Our guide to organizations that help pay medical bills lists the kinds of help.

A smaller bill means a smaller fundraiser, or none at all.

How do platform fees work?

Each platform sets its own fees, and part of every donation can go to fees. Read the platform's pricing page before you start. Two examples from the platforms' own pages:

• GoFundMe, for fundraisers for a person in the United States: there is no fee to start or run a fundraiser, and donors may add an optional contribution to the platform. A transaction fee comes out of each donation: 2.9% (GoFundMe, Pricing, published 2026) of the donation, plus $0.30 (GoFundMe, Pricing, published 2026) Source 55.
• Help Hope Live, a nonprofit for medical fundraising: fundraising is free for its clients, and fees come out of donations. It takes an administrative fee of 3% (Help Hope Live, Medical Fundraising FAQs, published 2026) from donations by check, and online donations carry an added processing fee. Donors can choose to cover the fees Source 66.

We name these two only as examples from their own pages. We don't rank or recommend platforms, and other platforms charge other fees.

Is money raised for my medical bills taxable?

It depends on why people gave. The IRS says money given through crowdfunding out of generosity, with nothing expected in return, may be a gift and may not be income to the person the campaign was for. But crowdfunding money is not automatically a gift, and getting a Form 1099-K does not by itself make it taxable (IRS, FS-2024-28, guidelines on contributions and distributions from online crowdfunding, published August 2024) Talk to a tax professional if you are unsure.

Keep a record of what you raised, what the platform kept in fees and what you paid with the money.

Can donations affect Medicaid or SSI?

They can. For Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a gift counts as unearned income under SSI's income rules, and donations can be gifts. Medical care that someone else pays for directly to the provider is not income for SSI Source 88. If you get SSI, ask the Social Security Administration how money from a fundraiser would count before you start.

For Medicaid, how money you receive counts depends on your state and on how you qualify. Ask your state Medicaid office before you start a fundraiser.

How do I write an honest fundraiser?

• Say what the money is for, and give the real amount you owe after any financial assistance, discount or insurance payment.
• Update people when the amount changes, and say what you will do with money you don't need.
• Share only the health details you are comfortable making public. A fundraiser can stay online for a long time.
• Keep receipts for every bill you pay with the money.
• Don't promise donors anything about their taxes. That question is for their own tax professional.
• Share one official link. Tell people where your real fundraiser is, so they can spot copies.

Can people give to a charity to pay my bill instead?

Not to a medical debt relief charity for your specific bill: a relief charity can't pay one person's bill. The Medical Bill can't take requests to cancel a specific bill.

People who want to help you can pay your hospital or doctor directly for your care. Our guide on how to help someone with medical bills explains how, and the tax rules that apply.