# University of California Davis Medical Center

Hospital in Sacramento, CA. Verified from the hospital's own policy.

University of California Davis Medical Center 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.

| Household size | Free care if yearly income is up to | Discount if yearly income is 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 |

Dollar amounts use the 2026 federal poverty guidelines.

## Discount steps

- 0% to 400% of poverty level, patient pays $0 (100% charity care adjustment)
- 0% to 400% of poverty level, patient pays discount program without a charity application: 60% off hospital fees and 46% off UC Davis Medical Group physician fees

## How to apply

- Call (916) 734-9200 and ask for financial assistance.
- [Application form](https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=ba9f2093-5488-4299-b35c-8570d8022dcf)
- [Charity Care Screening (UC Davis Health Policy 1891, effective 02/2024, updated 09/2025) and Patient Payment Discount (Policy 1851, updated 09/2025)](https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a0184618-d325-42fa-9277-b6becd6ca5a0)
- 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.
- Bring recent pay stubs or income tax returns.
- Very large bills. Insured patients at or below 400% of the poverty level whose out-of-pocket medical costs in the past 12 months, at any hospital or elsewhere, are over 10% of family income.

## 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 Davis Health physicians, including emergency physicians.

Not covered. Services that are not medically necessary. Separately billed physician services, except emergency room physicians. Sutter Health Foundation Children's Surgical Specialists are not covered.

## 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.

How to apply. 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

Source https://hcai.ca.gov/affordability/hospital-fair-billing-program/hospital-bill-complaint-program/frequently-asked-questions/, 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.

How to apply. 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.

Source https://hcai.ca.gov/affordability/hospital-fair-billing-program/hospital-bill-complaint-program/, 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.

How to apply. 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

Source https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=c7bdd7eb-bcc0-4a84-bcab-a21b5e578d9c, 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 medical costs in the past 12 months are over 10% of family income can also get a 100% write-off, if their insurance did not already give a discount for those services. A separate discount program gives 60% off hospital fees and 46% off physician fees to uninsured patients at or below 400%. The application warns that applying only for the discount can get you less help than charity care. You may be asked to apply for Medi-Cal or other programs first. Outpatient approval lasts three months. Each new hospital stay needs a new form. The policy sets no deadline to apply. You can ask the Customer Service Manager 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 UC Davis Health Patient Billing Customer Service. Toll free is (800) 551-9411. The policy lists the Financial Counseling Manager at (916) 734-9077 for eligibility questions.

## Sources

- Free care level https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a0184618-d325-42fa-9277-b6becd6ca5a0
  > Have family incomes at or below 400 percent of the FPL.
- Discount level https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=45b176e9-aa8b-40c1-ad87-e3c92b4179c7
  > A patient's family income must be at or below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
- Discount steps https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=45b176e9-aa8b-40c1-ad87-e3c92b4179c7
  > a sixty percent (60%) discount shall apply to hospital fees charged by UC Davis Health for services that qualify as medically necessary.
- Insured patients https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a0184618-d325-42fa-9277-b6becd6ca5a0
  > It also applies to insured patients with high medical costs whose medical expenses exceed 10% of their family annual income
- Very large bills https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a0184618-d325-42fa-9277-b6becd6ca5a0
  > Out-of-pocket medical expenses in prior twelve (12) months (whether incurred in or out of any hospital) exceed 10 percent of Patient's Family income.
- What is not covered https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a0184618-d325-42fa-9277-b6becd6ca5a0
  > This policy does not apply to services that are not medically necessary, or to separately billed physician services (other than emergency room physician services).
- Documents https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=a0184618-d325-42fa-9277-b6becd6ca5a0
  > For purposes of determining eligibility for charity care, documentation of income is limited to recent pay stubs or income tax returns.
- Financial counseling phone https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=ba9f2093-5488-4299-b35c-8570d8022dcf
  > Phone: 916-734-9200 or 800-551-9411or 916-734-9230 (TDD/hearing impaired)

Last checked 2026-11-10.

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