BrightBill

Hospital financial assistance in California

California law requires hospitals to reduce or write off bills for patients whose household income falls below set levels. This is usually called charity care. Brightbill tracks 392 California hospitals and shows the statute behind every answer.

Check my California hospital bill

Free and anonymous: no account, no sign-in, no bill number.

Hospitals in California

  • Up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level

    Hospital-specific policy applies

    Cal. Health & Safety Code sections 127400, 127405

Rural and critical-access hospitals in California

  • 0% of the Federal Poverty Level and above

    Hospital-specific policy applies

    This hospital is flagged rural and may set a different income limit than the statewide 400% figure. Contact the hospital directly to ask about their policy.

    Cal. Health & Safety Code section 127400 et seq. (rural hospital exception)

What California nonprofit hospitals reported to the IRS

Nonprofit hospitals that file IRS Form 990 report their financial assistance policy every year on Schedule H. These are the income limits each one reported in its most recent filing, as a percentage of the Federal Poverty Level. Policies can change after a filing, so the hospital's current written policy decides.

Financial assistance limits reported on IRS Form 990 Schedule H by California nonprofit hospitals
HospitalFree care up toDiscounted care up toAsset testPresumptive eligibilityTax year
Adventist Health and RideoutMarysville200%400%YesYes2024
Adventist Health ClearlakeClearlake200%400%YesYes2024
Adventist Health GlendaleGlendale200%400%Not statedYes2024
Adventist Health HanfordHanford200%400%Not statedYes2024
Adventist Health Simi ValleySimi Valley200%400%Not statedYes2024
Adventist Health St. HelenaSaint Helena200%400%YesYes2024
Adventist Health Tehachapi ValleyTehachapi200%400%Not statedYes2024
Adventist Health Ukiah ValleyUkiah200%400%YesYes2024
Adventist Health White MemorialLos Angeles200%400%Not statedYes2024
Bakersfield Memorial HospitalBakersfield250%500%YesYes2024
Barton Memorial HospitalSouth Lake Tahoe249%400%YesYes2024
Casa Colina HospitalPomona200%350%Not statedNot stated2024
Catalina Island Medical CenterAvalon200%400%Not statedYes2024
Cedars Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles400%600%Not statedYes2024
Children'S Hospital at MissionMission Viejo400%550%YesYes2024
Children'S Hospital of Los AngelesLos Angeles400%600%Not statedYes2024
Children'S Hospital of Orange CountyOrange400%550%YesNot stated2024
Childrens Hospital and Research Center at OaklandOakland400%400%YesNot stated2024
Chinese HospitalSan Francisco200%400%YesYes2024
Clovis Community Medical CenterClovis400%450%YesYes2024
Community Hospital of San BernardinoSan Bernardino250%500%YesYes2024
Community Hospital of the Monterey PeninsulaMonterey300%400%YesYes2024
Community Regional Medical Center-FresnoFresno400%450%YesYes2024
Dameron HospitalStockton200%400%Not statedYes2024
Eisenhower Medical CenterRancho Mirage100%400%YesYes2024
Encino Hospital Medical CenterEncino400%450%YesYes2024
Fairchild Medical CenterYreka100%350%YesYes2024
Foothill Presbyterian Hospital-Johnston MemorialGlendora400%550%YesYes2024
Frank R Howard Memorial HospitalWillits200%400%YesYes2024
Fresno Surgical HospitalFresno200%400%Not statedYes2024
Goleta Valley Cottage HospitalSanta Barbara500%699%YesYes2024
Good Samaritan Hospital-Los AngelesLos Angeles200%400%Not statedYes2024
Grossmont HospitalLA Mesa200%400%YesNot stated2024
Healdsburg District HospitalHealdsburg300%400%YesYes2024
Healthbridge Children'S Hospital-OrangeOrange250%400%YesYes2024
Henry Mayo Newhall HospitalValencia200%400%YesYes2024
Hoag Memorial Hospital PresbyterianNewport Beach200%400%Not statedYes2024
Hoag Orthopedic InstituteIrvine200%400%Not statedYes2024
Huntington Beach HospitalHuntington Beach400%450%YesYes2024
Huntington Memorial HospitalPasadena400%600%Not statedYes2024
John Muir Medical Center-Concord CampusConcord400%400%YesYes2024
John Muir Medical Center-Walnut Creek CampusWalnut Creek400%400%YesYes2024
Keck Hospital of USCLos Angeles200%400%YesYes2024
LA Palma Intercommunity HospitalLA Palma400%450%YesYes2024
Loma Linda University Children'S HospitalLoma Linda200%350%Not statedNot stated2024
Loma Linda University Medical CenterLoma Linda200%350%Not statedNot stated2024
Loma Linda University Medical Center-MurrietaMurrieta200%350%Not statedNot stated2024
Lucile Packard Children'S Hospital StanfordPalo Alto400%400%Not statedNot stated2024
Madera Community HospitalMadera200%350%Not statedYes2022
Marina Del Rey HospitalMarina Del Rey400%600%Not statedYes2024
Mark Twain Medical CenterSan Andreas250%500%YesYes2024
Marshall Medical CenterPlacerville149%450%YesYes2023
Martin Luther KING, Jr. Community HospitalLos Angeles300%450%Not statedYes2024
Mendocino Coast District HospitalFort Bragg200%400%YesYes2024
Mission Hospital Regional Medical CenterMission Viejo400%550%YesYes2024
Montclair Hospital Medical CenterMontclair400%450%YesYes2024
North Bay Medical CenterFairfield138%400%YesYes2024
Ojai Valley Community HospitalOjai200%700%YesYes2024
Orchard HospitalGridley350%200%Not statedYes2023
Oroville HospitalOroville200%400%YesYes2022
Petaluma Valley HospitalPetaluma300%400%YesYes2024
Pih Hospital - DowneyDowney100%400%YesYes2024
Pomona Valley Hospital Medical CenterPomona400%Not statedYesYes2024
Providence Holy Cross Medical CenterMission Hills300%400%YesYes2024
Providence Little Company of Mary Mc - San PedroSan Pedro300%400%YesYes2024
Providence Saint John'S Health CenterSanta Monica300%400%YesYes2024
Providence Saint Joseph Medical CenterBurbank300%400%YesYes2024
Providence Tarzana Medical CenterTarzana300%400%YesYes2024
Rady Children'S Hospital - San DiegoSan Diego550%450%Not statedYes2024
Redlands Community HospitalRedlands299%400%YesYes2024
Ridgecrest Regional HospitalRidgecrest200%400%YesYes2024
San Antonio Regional HospitalUpland300%400%YesYes2024
San Gorgonio Memorial HospitalBanning200%400%YesYes2024
Santa Barbara Cottage HospitalSanta Barbara500%699%YesYes2024
Santa Ynez Valley Cottage HospitalSolvang500%699%YesYes2024
Scripps Memorial Hospital - EncinitasEncinitas200%400%YesYes2024
Scripps Memorial Hospital - LA JollaLA Jolla200%400%Not statedNot stated2024
Sharp Chula Vista Medical CenterChula Vista200%400%YesNot stated2024
Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare CenterCoronado200%400%YesNot stated2024
Sharp Memorial HospitalSan Diego200%400%YesNot stated2024
Sherman Oaks HospitalSherman Oaks400%450%YesYes2024
Sierra Nevada Memorial HospitalGrass Valley250%500%YesYes2024
St. Agnes Medical CenterFresno200%400%Not statedYes2024
St. Francis Memorial HospitalSan Francisco250%500%YesYes2024
St. Joseph Hospital - OrangeOrange300%400%YesYes2024
St. Joseph'S Medical Center of StocktonStockton250%500%YesYes2024
St. Mary Medical Center - Apple ValleyApple Valley300%400%YesYes2024
Stanford Health CarePalo Alto400%400%Not statedYes2024
Stanford Health Care - ValleycarePleasanton400%400%Not statedYes2024
Surprise Valley Community HospitalCedarville200%300%YesYes2024
Sutter Coast HospitalCrescent City400%Not statedNot statedYes2024
Sutter Surgical Hospital-North ValleyYuba City400%Not statedNot statedYes2024
USC Verdugo Hills HospitalGlendale200%400%YesYes2024
Valley Children'S HospitalMadera200%400%Not statedYes2024
Valley Presbyterian HospitalVan Nuys400%650%YesYes2024

Source: IRS Form 990 Schedule H, Part V, from the IRS e-file data, most recent filing since 2022 for each hospital. "Presumptive eligibility" means the hospital reported deciding eligibility for some patients without an application before starting collection actions. "Not stated" means the filing gave no figure or left the box unchecked.

California hospitals covered in detail

392 California hospitals with their own page.

If a California hospital does not follow the law

California complaints are handled by California Dept. of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI): Hospital Bill Complaint Program. Brightbill will soon prepare that complaint for you, free.

Common questions

What if my income is above the free-care limit in California?

California rules still reach higher incomes. Up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level: hospital-specific policy applies. The protections run up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level.

Which California hospitals have to offer financial assistance?

Brightbill tracks 392 hospitals in California. The California rule applies to hospitals in the state, and nonprofit hospitals nationwide must also have a written financial assistance policy to keep their federal tax exemption.

Is the California eligibility check free?

Yes. The Brightbill eligibility check is free and anonymous. It needs no account and no sign-in, and never asks for your name, hospital records, bill number or contact details. Coming soon: Brightbill will do it for you, free: the financial assistance application to the hospital and any surprise bill dispute, followed through to the answer. Leave your email after your check and we'll tell you when it opens.

Can I still apply after my California bill has gone to collections?

Often yes. Many state charity-care laws let you apply after the bill is issued, and applying can pause collection activity or lead to a refund if you already paid more than the law allows. The exact window is set by Cal. Health & Safety Code sections 127400, 127405, and California Dept. of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI): Hospital Bill Complaint Program handles complaints when a hospital does not follow it.

Does the No Surprises Act protect me in California?

Yes. The federal No Surprises Act applies in every state, including California. If you have health insurance, it protects you from surprise out-of-network bills for emergency care, for care from out-of-network doctors at an in-network hospital or surgery center (unless you signed a valid consent for certain non-emergency care), and for air ambulance flights: you owe only your in-network share. If you are uninsured or paying yourself, you can ask for a written Good Faith Estimate before scheduled care, and if the final bill is at least $400 more than that estimate you can dispute it through the federal process within 120 days of the bill. Brightbill's free check covers both charity care and these protections.

Can Brightbill send the letters for me?

Soon. Brightbill's full service opens soon, and it will be free. When it opens: Brightbill applies to the hospital for financial assistance, follows up, reads the reply and checks the decision against the law and the hospital's own policy. For a surprise bill or a bill above your Good Faith Estimate, it walks you through the government dispute form step by step, writes any letter your case needs, sends it with your approval and tracks the deadlines. It sends by email first. If an office only accepts mail, Brightbill mails it at no cost (the application and one follow-up for each provider). For charity care, you check and sign once and Brightbill sends the application, follows up and asks you before any appeal or complaint. For a surprise bill, you approve each letter before it is sent. Letters go from a secure case address, so the reply comes back to you and into your case. The free check stays free and anonymous.

Does Brightbill give legal advice about California hospital bills?

No. Brightbill is an eligibility estimate to act on, not legal advice, and it is not affiliated with any hospital. It shows the statute behind every result so you can check it yourself; the hospital's financial assistance office makes the final decision.

Check my California hospital bill

Takes about two minutes.

§

Legal basis: Cal. Health & Safety Code sections 127400, 127405 requires California hospitals to offer charity care and discount payment to eligible patients.

This is an estimate, not legal advice. Each hospital's financial assistance office makes the final decision. Terms · Health Data Privacy Policy.