Chinese Hospital
Nonprofit acute care hospital in San Francisco, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
Chinese Hospital 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 (uninsured patients)
- 201% to 300% of poverty level, you pay 50% of the Medicare allowed amount (uninsured patients)
- 301% to 400% of poverty level, you pay 75% of the Medicare allowed amount (uninsured patients, emergency care)
- 0% to 400% of poverty level, you pay Medicare allowed amount minus what your insurance paid, or $0 if insurance paid that much (patients with high medical costs)
How to apply
- Call (415) 677-2480 and ask for financial assistance.
- Financial Assistance Program Policy PFS.01.01 (revised 09/26)
- Bring recent pay stubs or a recent income tax return.
- 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
- Patients at or below 400% of the poverty level whose out-of-pocket medical costs are over 10% of family income pay no more than the Medicare allowed amount minus what insurance 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
- Emergency care and other medically necessary care under Chinese Hospital's general acute care hospital license. Insured patients can also get help with charges their insurance does not cover.
- Not covered
- Doctors who do not bill through Chinese Hospital are not covered. Retail pharmacy, gift shop, and cafeteria purchases are not covered. Emergency doctors must give their own discount up to 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 for uninsured patients at or below 200% of the poverty level. From 201% to 300%, uninsured patients pay half of what Medicare allows. From 301% to 400%, uninsured patients pay 75% of what Medicare allows for emergency care. The table for non-emergency care lists only the 201% to 300% band. Insured patients at or below 400% with medical costs over 10% of income pay at most what Medicare allows minus what insurance paid. Charges Medi-Cal denies or does not cover are written off as charity care, but Medi-Cal share of cost is not. Savings are not counted. You do not have to apply for Medi-Cal first, but the hospital may screen you for it. There is no deadline to apply. Payment plans have no interest. Appeals go in writing to the Chief Financial Officer. The file posted with the state as the application is a copy of the policy, so no application form is on file. The policy does not print a billing phone number.
Sources
- Free care level
shall not seek any payment for any Eligible Services it provides to a Self-Pay Patient at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level
- Discount level
>300% to 400% of the Federal Poverty Level 75% of Medicare Allowed Amount
- Discount steps
>200% to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level 50% of Medicare Allowed Amount
- Insured patients
A patient with high medical costs (as defined below) who are at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level
- Asset test
Monetary assets may no longer be considered in determining eligibility for charity care or discount payment.
- Very large bills
Annual out-of-pocket medical expenses exceed 10% of the Patient Family Income
- What is covered
Financial assistance pursuant to this policy is only available for services provided under Chinese Hospital’s general acute care hospital license.
- What is not covered
Physician Services that are not billed by Chinese Hospital.
- Application deadline days none
No time limits shall be imposed for applying for charity care or discount payment
- Documents
documentation of income shall be limited to recent paystubs or recent income tax return.
- Facility named in policy
Chinese Hospital establishes this policy regarding the billing of patients for services provided by Chinese Hospital.
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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