River Vista Behavioral Health
Psychiatric hospital in Madera, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
River Vista Behavioral Health likely gives free care to households with a yearly income up to $15,960 for 1 person, $21,640 for 2, $27,320 for 3, $33,000 for 4, $38,680 for 5 or $44,360 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 | $15,960 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $154,720 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $177,440 |
Discount steps
- 0% to 100% of poverty level, you pay $0 (patients with no insurance; the application grid also requires monetary assets under $10,000)
- 101% to 250% of poverty level, you pay no more than 50% of the higher of the Medicare or Medi-Cal rate for the stay (patients with no insurance)
- 251% to 400% of poverty level, you pay the higher of the Medicare or Medi-Cal rate for the stay (patients with no insurance)
How to apply
- Call (559) 797-6992 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Hospital Charity and Discount Care Policy (state effective date 09/30/2026)
- Bring a check stub or 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 counts savings or property, not only income.
- Very large bills
- Insured patients with income at or below 400% of the poverty level and yearly out-of-pocket medical costs over 10% of family income. Insurance plus the patient's share is capped at the higher of what Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay.
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
- Medically necessary services at River Vista Behavioral Health. Insured patients with high medical costs get their deductibles and coinsurance capped.
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 100% of the poverty level if you have no insurance. From 101% to 250% with no insurance, you pay no more than half of what Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay, whichever is higher. From 251% to 400%, you pay the Medicare or Medi-Cal rate, whichever is higher. Above 400% the policy offers no discount. The hospital may give more at its discretion. If you have insurance, income at or below 400%, and medical costs over 10% of family income, what you owe plus what insurance pays is capped at the Medicare or Medi-Cal rate. The policy itself says nothing about assets, but the application form asks for total savings and gives free care at or below 100% only when monetary assets are under $10,000. That asset rule is older and state law changed in 2025, so ask the hospital whether it still applies. You get a decision within 10 business days. Interest-free payment plans are offered. The hospital says it will not report you to credit agencies, garnish wages, or put liens on property. To dispute a decision, contact the Business Office Director within 30 days. Contact details are on rivervistabh.com. The application form is in English and Spanish and uses 2025 poverty figures. Neither file prints a phone number. Medicare lists the hospital's main number as (559) 797-6992.
Sources
- Free care level
Charity: All self-pay patients with income level at or below 100% of the FPL who meet the eligibility requirements of this policy
- Discount level
All self-pay patients with income level between 251% and 400% of the FPL will have their stay discounted to the Medicare or
- Discount steps
250% of the FPL will have their stay discounted to no more than 50% of the Medicare or Medi-Cal rate for the stay
- Insured patients
All patients who qualify as High Medical Cost patients will be billed for deductibles and coinsurance only to the extent
- Asset test
Total monetary assets
- Very large bills
Annual out-of-pocket expenses that exceed 10 percent of the patient’s family income
- Documents
Reported income levels must be supported by either a check stub or income tax return.
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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