How to apply for Hospital Charity Care / Financial Assistance — San Francisco County

Who it's for

Hospitals serving San Francisco County — including Zuckerberg San Francisco General, UCSF, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter CPMC, and Dignity Health — must provide financial assistance under California's Hospital Fair Pricing Act. Uninsured patients (and insured patients with high medical costs) with household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level qualify for charity care or discounted payment; many nonprofit systems give fully free care at lower income levels (for example, Dignity Health provides free care up to 250% of the poverty level). Eligible patients are never charged more than the amounts generally billed to insured patients. Ask any hospital's financial-counseling or billing office for its Financial Assistance Policy and application; the state's HCAI publishes every hospital's policy.

What you'll need

• Proof of household income (pay stubs, Social Security award letter, tax return)
• Proof of family size and San Francisco County residency
• The hospital's completed Financial Assistance Policy application

Where to apply

What to say when you call

“Hello, I'm calling to ask about Hospital Charity Care / Financial Assistance — San Francisco County. I'd like to know whether I may qualify, what documents I need, and whether I can apply online, by mail, by phone, or in person. I understand I may need proof of household income (pay stubs, social security award letter, tax return), proof of family size and san francisco county residency, the hospital's completed financial assistance policy application — is anything else required? What is the best next step?”

Tip: have a pen ready, ask for the person's name, and write down any case or reference number they give you.

Renewals

per application / eligibility period