UC San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med Ctr
Acute care hospital in San Diego, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
UC San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med Ctr 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 uninsured: $0 (100% charity care discount)
- 0% to 400% of poverty level, you pay insured with high medical costs: up to 100% off the patient share, never more than the amount generally billed
How to apply
- Call (619) 543-7827 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Charity Care (UCSDHP 750.3, last revised May 26, 2026) and Uninsured and Underinsured Patient Discount (UCSDHP 750.5, last revised May 26, 2026)
- Bring most recent federal tax return (Form 1040), pay stubs, or other reasonable proof of income, insured patients with high medical costs need receipts for care at other providers.
- 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.
- Residency
- California resident (the policy defines its service area as every California zip code)
- Very large bills
- Insured patients at or below 400% of the poverty level whose yearly out-of-pocket medical costs are over 10% of family income can get up to 100% off their share.
- Languages
- English, Spanish
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 hospital inpatient and outpatient care, and UC San Diego Health Medical Group physicians.
- Not covered
- Services that are not medically necessary. Care from UC San Diego Health when it is out of your insurance network. Insured patients who choose not to use their coverage. Cosmetic surgery and other elective care such as infertility services, transplants and routine vision exams. Eyeglasses, contact lenses and hearing aids. Physicians who bill separately.
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 400% of the poverty level for uninsured patients. Insured patients at or below 400% whose yearly out-of-pocket costs are over 10% of family income can get up to 100% off their share. Uninsured patients also get an automatic discount that limits the bill to what insurers generally pay. The policy covers people who live in California. One line says undocumented patients living in California get charity care for emergency services only. You can ask before, during or after care. For care that is not urgent, apply before you get it. The application asks you to send it with your papers within 20 days. Approval lasts up to three months, and you may be asked to apply for Medi-Cal or other programs first. You get a written answer within 20 days of a complete application. You can ask the Patient Access or Customer Service director to review a denial, and then ask for a second review. The policy is silent on savings and property. California law since 2025 does not allow hospitals to count monetary assets. The phone number is the UC San Diego Health Financial Counseling Manager. The Patient Customer Service Director is at (858) 249-0808. The state copy of this policy is a scan that we read with text recognition.
Sources
- Free care level
Patients without third-party coverage and income at or below 400% of the FPL shall be extended a 100% charity care discount on services rendered.
- Discount level
the hospital shall provide a Discount Payment Program for financially qualified patients with family income at or below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level
- Discount steps
may receive a discount of up to 100 percent of the patient's financial responsibility, based on family income and FPL.
- Insured patients
Insured patient with High Medical Costs and a Family income at or below 400% of the FPL;
- Residency
UC San Diego Health defines its primary service area as all zip codes in the State of California.
- Very large bills
annual out-of-pocket hospital or medical expenses that exceed 10 percent of the patient's current or prior-year family income
- What is not covered
Services provided to a patient who comes to UC San Diego Health out of their insurance plan network;
- Documents
Family income may be verified using a federal income tax return, pay stubs, or other reasonable documentation.
- Languages
All written materials shall be available in English and Spanish.
- Financial counseling phone
Questions about Financial Assistance eligibility should be directed to the Financial Counseling Manager at 619-543-7827
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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