# Alvarado Parkway Institute Behavioral Health Syste

Hospital in La Mesa, CA. Verified from the hospital's own policy.

Alvarado Parkway Institute Behavioral Health Syste likely gives free care to households with a yearly income up to $63,840 for 1 person, $86,560 for 2, $109,280 for 3, $132,000 for 4, $154,720 for 5 or $177,440 for 6. We have not found a discount for incomes above the free care level.

The hospital makes the final decision.

| Household size | Free care if yearly income is up to | Discount if yearly income is up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $63,840 | not found |
| 2 | $86,560 | not found |
| 3 | $109,280 | not found |
| 4 | $132,000 | not found |
| 5 | $154,720 | not found |
| 6 | $177,440 | not found |

Dollar amounts use the 2026 federal poverty guidelines.

## Discount steps

- 0% to 400% of poverty level, patient pays $0 (uninsured patients, full waiver of charges)
- 0% to 400% of poverty level, patient pays discounted rate such as the Medicare rate (uninsured patients, discounted payment program)

## How to apply

- Call (619) 667-6187 and ask for financial assistance.
- [Application form](https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=108bdf76-5bf5-4363-9e5e-723c50b4c76c)
- [Financial Assistance Policy, BO-908 (revised 2/2016, 7/2022, 1/2024, 4/2026)](https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a9f87ad1-4f6a-48de-bc2a-94e51c705693)
- We do not have the deadline yet. Apply as soon as you get a bill, and ask the billing office to pause collections while you apply.
- Bring Financial Assistance application, three most recent pay stubs, recent income tax returns or bank statements.
- Very large bills. Insured patients with income at or below 400% of the poverty level whose out-of-pocket medical costs in the past 12 months, at this hospital or elsewhere, are over 10% of family income.

## If you have insurance

Insured patients can also apply for help with deductibles and copays.
Keep your insurance. Financial assistance covers bills from this one place only.

## What is covered

Covered. Hospital services at Alvarado Parkway Institute. Insured patients with high medical costs can also get help.

Not covered. Physicians, advanced practice nurses and other allied health professionals working under a physician, and pathology or result interpretation bill separately and are not covered.

## State program in California

### Hospital Fair Pricing Act (Health and Safety Code 127400 et seq.)

Every licensed general acute care, acute psychiatric, and special hospital in California must have a charity care policy and a discount payment policy. A patient can ask for help if they are uninsured (self-pay) or have high medical costs, and their family income is not more than 400% of the federal poverty level. Hospitals may choose to help people with higher incomes. With a discount, the bill is capped at about what Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay, whichever is greater. You can apply at any time, even after a bill goes to collections. Immigration status does not affect eligibility.

Income levels in the program are discount up to 400% of poverty level.

Applies to each licensed general acute care hospital, acute psychiatric hospital, and special hospital in California.

How to apply. Apply to the hospital's financial assistance office. Each hospital's policies and applications are posted on its website and on HCAI's Hospital Fair Pricing Policy Lookup (https://hcai.ca.gov/affordability/hospital-fair-billing-program/hospital-fair-pricing-policy-lookup/).

> Is a self-pay patient OR a patient with high medical costs; AND Patient's family income is not more than 400 percent of the federal poverty

Source https://hcai.ca.gov/affordability/hospital-fair-billing-program/hospital-bill-complaint-program/frequently-asked-questions/, checked 2026-11-10

### Hospital Bill Complaint Program (HCAI)

A free state program at HCAI. If a hospital wrongly denied you financial assistance, did not tell you about its programs, or sent you to collections the wrong way, you can file a complaint online (English and Spanish) or by mail (many languages). You must have applied to the hospital first for HCAI to review an eligibility decision. If HCAI finds you paid too much, the hospital must refund you within 30 days. It covers problems on or after January 1, 2022. It does not handle general billing disputes, price transparency, Good Faith Estimates, or bills from emergency room doctors.

Applies to complaints about any hospital covered by the Hospital Fair Pricing Act.

How to apply. File online through the Patient Complaint Portal (https://hcai.ca.gov/affordability/hospital-fair-billing-program/hospital-bill-complaint-program/should-i-file-a-complaint/) or mail the Patient Complaint Form to Department of Health Care Access and Information, Hospital Bill Complaint Program, 2020 West El Camino Avenue, Suite 1101, Sacramento, CA 95833.

> If you believe you were wrongly denied financial assistance, you may file a complaint with the Hospital Bill Complaint Program.

Source https://hcai.ca.gov/affordability/hospital-fair-billing-program/hospital-bill-complaint-program/, checked 2026-11-10

### Emergency physician discount rule

Most hospital policies cover only the hospital's own bill. Emergency room doctors often bill separately. California law also requires an emergency physician to give discounts to uninsured patients and patients with high medical costs whose family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. Ask the doctor group's billing office for its discount policy. HCAI's complaint program does not handle emergency doctor bills.

Income levels in the program are discount up to 400% of poverty level.

Applies to emergency physicians who provide emergency medical services in a California hospital that provides emergency care.

How to apply. Ask the emergency physician group named on the bill for its discount payment policy.

> an emergency physician who provides emergency medical services in a hospital that provides emergency care is also required by law to provide discounted care

Source https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=c7bdd7eb-bcc0-4a84-bcab-a21b5e578d9c, checked 2026-11-10

## Notes

Free care at or below 400% of the poverty level if you have no insurance. The policy also lists a discounted rate, such as the Medicare rate, for the same uninsured group at or below 400%, so the free and discount limits are both 400%. Insured patients at or below 400% with medical costs over 10% of family income can also get help, but the policy does not say how much. Uninsured patients up to 500% of the poverty level can get an interest-free payment plan. You do not have to apply for Medi-Cal first. Send the application to Alvarado Parkway Institute, 7050 Parkway Drive, La Mesa, CA 91942, Attn: Director of Patient Accounts, or fax (619) 667-6054. To appeal a denial, call the Business Office at (619) 667-6133 within 30 days. The Business Office help line is (619) 667-6187, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. The policy says nothing about counting assets, but the application asks for cash, bank balances, property, home, and car values and a bank statement. The policy also lists bank statements as a proof of income. Notices are in English and other languages on request, not named. The policy shows a 4/2026 revision, but the state lists it as effective 01/01/2024.

## Sources

- Free care level https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a9f87ad1-4f6a-48de-bc2a-94e51c705693
  > Full Charity Care: Uninsured patients with a family income at or below 400% of the FPL qualify for a full waiver of charges.
- Discount level https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a9f87ad1-4f6a-48de-bc2a-94e51c705693
  > Discounted Payment: Uninsured patients with a family income at or below 400% of the FPL qualify for a discounted rate (e.g., Medicare rate).
- Discount steps https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a9f87ad1-4f6a-48de-bc2a-94e51c705693
  > Uninsured patients with a family income at or below 400% of the FPL qualify for a discounted rate (e.g., Medicare rate).
- Insured patients https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a9f87ad1-4f6a-48de-bc2a-94e51c705693
  > High Medical Cost: Insured patients with a family income at or below 400% of the FPL
- Very large bills https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a9f87ad1-4f6a-48de-bc2a-94e51c705693
  > out-of-pocket medical expenses in the past 12 months (at API or other providers) exceed 10% of their family income qualify for assistance.
- What is not covered https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a9f87ad1-4f6a-48de-bc2a-94e51c705693
  > are not provided directly by the hospital. These service providers bill separately for their services.
- Documents https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a9f87ad1-4f6a-48de-bc2a-94e51c705693
  > Recent income tax returns or bank statements documenting household income.
- Financial counseling phone https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=108bdf76-5bf5-4363-9e5e-723c50b4c76c
  > Patients may call the Business Office at (619) 667-6187 for more information on financial assistance

Last checked 2026-11-10.

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