Catalina Island Medical Center
Nonprofit critical access hospital in Avalon, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
Catalina Island Medical Center likely gives free care to households with a yearly income up to $31,920 for 1 person, $43,280 for 2, $54,640 for 3, $66,000 for 4, $77,360 for 5 or $88,720 for 6. It likely gives a discount 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.
The hospital makes the final decision.
| People in household | Free care up to | Discount up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $31,920 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $43,280 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $54,640 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $66,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 | $77,360 | $154,720 |
| 6 | $88,720 | $177,440 |
Discount steps
- 0% to 200% of poverty level, you pay $0 (free care for 12 months)
- 201% to 400% of poverty level, you pay no more than the greater of what Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay ($0 if homeless)
How to apply
- Call (310) 510-0700, ext. 112 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Financial Assistance, Charity Care, and Discounted Care Program (effective 8/11/26)
- Bring Financial Assistance Evaluation Application, signed, recent pay stubs or a recent tax return, proof of high medical costs, if your balance is what you owe after insurance.
- 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.
- Very large bills
- Patients with income from 201% to 400% of the poverty level whose out-of-pocket medical costs in the past 12 months top 10% of family income get the Medicare or Medi-Cal price cap. Insured patients pay only the gap between that amount and what the plan paid.
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 medically necessary services at Catalina Island Health, including inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and clinic visits.
- Not covered
- ER doctors bill separately. The policy says they must give discounts to uninsured patients and patients with high medical costs at or below 400% of the poverty level.
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
Free care at or below 200% of the poverty level, and it lasts 12 months. Homeless patients get free care up to 400%. From 201% to 400%, the bill is capped at what Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay, whichever is more. One part of the policy says charity care is open up to 400%, while the benefit table gives full free care only up to 200%. The table is what is recorded here. You do not have to apply for Medi-Cal first. An application covers care for 180 days and can be updated any time. You get a written decision within 30 days. Appeals go in writing to Patient Financial Services. The hospital says it will never report your account to a credit bureau or sue you. Notices are in English and can be translated on request, but the policy names no other language. You can drop off the application at the front desk any time, or mail it to P.O. Box 1563, Avalon, CA 90704. The policy does not say whether assets are counted.
Sources
- Free care level
Income 200% or less FPL shall be granted full (100%) charity care (free care) for a 12-month period.
- Discount level
Income 201%-400% of FPL Guidelines discounted to not exceed the maximum amount a patient would reasonably be expected to pay
- Discount steps
Income 201%-400% or less FPL who are homeless shall be granted fully (100%) charity care
- Insured patients
A patient who is insured but has "high medical costs" and who is at or below 400% of the FPL is eligible to apply
- Very large bills
High medical costs mean annual out-of-pocket medical expenses incurred by the patient or the patient’s family that exceed the lesser of 10 percent
- What is not covered
Any ER physician who provides emergency medical services will be required to provide discounts to uninsured patients or patients with high medical costs
- Deadline
A patient may qualify for eligibility for charity or discounted care prior to admission, after admission, after discharge, or during the financial assistance process.
- Documents
please complete this enclosed application and provide copies of the following list of documents to our office as soon as possible.
- Documents
Recent paystubs OR ☐ Recent tax return ☐ Proof of high medical cost
- Financial counseling phone
please contact our Business Office at (310)510-0700 X112 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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