L A Downtown Medical Center
Acute care hospital in Los Angeles, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
L A Downtown 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 $79,800 for 1 person, $108,200 for 2, $136,600 for 3, $165,000 for 4, $193,400 for 5 or $221,800 for 6.
The hospital makes the final decision.
| People in household | Free care up to | Discount up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $31,920 | $79,800 |
| 2 | $43,280 | $108,200 |
| 3 | $54,640 | $136,600 |
| 4 | $66,000 | $165,000 |
| 5 | $77,360 | $193,400 |
| 6 | $88,720 | $221,800 |
Discount steps
- 0% to 200% of poverty level, you pay $0
- 201% to 400% of poverty level, you pay amount Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay, whichever is greater
- 401% to 500% of poverty level, you pay discount set by the hospital's written schedule (not printed in the policy), never more than Amounts Generally Billed
How to apply
- Call (213) 314-1492 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Charity Care & Discount Payment (revised 11/2026)
- Plain language summary
- Bring recent pay stubs or recent income 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
- Out-of-pocket costs over 10% of family income, for family income up to 500% of the poverty level.
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 and medically necessary hospital services.
- Not covered
- Physicians and other providers who bill separately from the 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
Free care at or below 200% of the poverty level for uninsured patients. Insured patients with high medical costs at or below 200% can also get free care. From 201% to 400%, you pay no more than Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay. From 401% to 500%, the hospital may give a discount using a schedule that is not printed in the policy. The hospital does not count savings or other assets, and the application tells you not to list them. There is no deadline to apply. Only Charity Care may require you to apply for government coverage first. If you disagree with a decision, ask for review by the Chief Financial Officer. The plain language summary is Attachment A inside the policy. The policy says it is available in the service area's main languages but does not list them. Language help is free at (213) 314-1492. Free copies are also at www.ladowntownmc.com.
Sources
- Free care level
have Family Income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines in effect at the time the patient was first billed
- Discount level
whose Family Income is above 400% and at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
- Discount steps
limit expected payment for Covered Services to the amount Hospital would expect, in good faith, to receive from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater
- Insured patients
may also qualify for Charity Care, including patients who have insurance coverage, when they otherwise meet the requirements of this Policy.
- Asset test
Hospital does not consider monetary assets when determining eligibility.
- Very large bills
out-of-pocket costs incurred by the patient at Hospital that exceed the lesser of 10% of the patient's current Family Income
- What is not covered
It does not apply to charges from physicians or other providers who bill separately from Hospital.
- Deadline
There is no deadline to apply for Charity Care or Discount Payment Assistance.
- Documents
Hospital may request income documentation allowed by law, including recent paystubs or recent tax returns.
- Financial counseling phone
contact the Business Office at (213) 314-1492 for free help.
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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