Aurora San Diego
Psychiatric hospital in San Diego, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
Aurora San Diego 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.
| People in household | Free care up to | Discount 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 |
Discount steps
- 0% to 400% of poverty level, you pay $0 (uninsured patients, full write-off; insured patients with out-of-pocket costs over 10% of income, your share written off)
How to apply
- Call (858) 675-4228 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Financial Assistance - Free Care/Discount Policy (effective January 1, 2025)
- Bring Application for Financial Assistance, recent pay stubs or tax returns.
- 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.
- Savings and property
- The policy looks at income only, not savings or property.
- Very large bills
- Insured patients with income up to 400% of the poverty level get their share of the hospital bill written off if out-of-pocket medical costs in the past 12 months, at this hospital or elsewhere, top 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
- All services the hospital is licensed to provide, including nursing, therapy, pharmacy, and technician services. Insured patients who run out of benefits during a stay can also qualify.
- Not covered
- Physician services are not covered and doctors bill separately. ER care at the referring hospital is billed by that hospital.
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.
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
Program source, 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.
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.
Program source, 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.
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
Program source, checked 2026-11-10
Notes
Uninsured patients at or below 400% of the poverty level pay nothing for hospital services. Insured patients at or below 400% with high out-of-pocket costs get their share written off. The policy offers free care only, with no partial discount, so the discount limit shown is the same 400% free care limit. Above 400%, the policy offers no discount. There is no time limit to apply. Approval lasts one year. To dispute a denial, contact the hospital CFO within 30 days, by phone or in writing. Mail applications to Aurora Behavioral Health Care San Diego, 11878 Avenue of Industry, San Diego, CA 92128, Attn Business Office Manager. Phone hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. The policy says copies are available in multiple languages but does not name them. The poverty table attached to the policy uses the 2025 guidelines. The state shows this policy as effective 10/10/2025. Medicare lists the hospital's main number as (858) 487-3200.
Sources
- Free care level
for any portion of their medical expenses and have a family income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.
- Discount level
Patients who are covered by insurance but have (i) family income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level
- Discount steps
eligible patients do not pay any amount.
- Insured patients
Patients who are covered by insurance but have (i) family income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level
- Asset test
Hospital shall not consider patients’ monetary assets when determining eligibility for Financial Assistance.
- Very large bills
medical expenses for themselves or their family (incurred at the hospital affiliate or paid to other providers in the past 12 months) that exceed 10%
- What is not covered
Professional (physician) Services: Services of physicians are not covered under this policy.
- Deadline
Hospital will not impose time limits for applying for financial assistance under this policy, nor deny eligibility based on the timing of a patient’s application.
- Documents
A patient shall only be required to provide recent pay stubs or tax returns as proof of income when submitting an application for Financial Assistance.
- Financial counseling phone
Contact Information: Patients may call 1-858-675-4228 or contact the hospital department listed on Attachment F
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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