# Contra Costa Regional Medical Center

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

Contra Costa Regional 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 (Charity Care) for county residents who pass the asset limit
- 0% to 400% of poverty level, patient pays 65% of charges (35% discount, the Medi-Cal rate) for people who do not get Charity Care

## How to apply

- Call (800) 771-4270 and ask for financial assistance.
- [Charity Care Program (Hospital Policy No. 610) and Discount Payment Program (Hospital Policy No. 611), reviewed/revised 4/2022](https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=aa6b57e7-3362-49a9-9a6b-5f4168b3ae9b)
- The policy gives 180 days to apply. Ask the billing office which date the count starts from.
- Bring recent pay stubs, or a written self-attestation of earned income if self-employed, statements from financial institutions.
- Residency. Charity Care is only for Contra Costa County residents. The Discount Payment Program has no residency or citizenship rule.
- Savings and property. The policy counts savings or property, not only income.
- Very large bills. Insured patients need out-of-pocket medical costs in the prior 12 months 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. All services during a hospital stay or outpatient visit at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center and its health centers, including emergency doctor services

## 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

The filed policy says free care if your family income is at or below 400% of the poverty level, but an attachment to the same policy says 150%. Ask the hospital which limit it uses. Free care is only for Contra Costa County residents. It also has an asset limit of $2,000 for one person or $3,000 for a family, after setting aside the first $10,000 and half of savings above that. Retirement plans and your home are not counted, but owning other property rules you out. This policy was last revised 4/2022 and still counts assets, even though California law has barred counting assets since 2025. If you do not get free care, the Discount Payment Program cuts the bill to 65% of charges (the Medi-Cal rate) for incomes up to 400% of the poverty level, with no asset test and no residency rule. Its attachment says 350%, which also conflicts. Insured patients can get help if their out-of-pocket costs in the past 12 months are over 10% of family income. You must apply within 180 days of the first bill. Appeals go to the Director of Patient Financial Services. The county also runs Basic Health Care (coverage for low-income residents up to 300% of the poverty level) and a Sliding Fee Scale Program up to 200%. The files posted on the state site as the charity care and discount applications are copies of the two policies, not forms.

## Sources

- Free care level https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=aa6b57e7-3362-49a9-9a6b-5f4168b3ae9b
  > Uninsured patients are financially qualified to obtain fully discounted medical care when their family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level
- Discount level https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=1c9a2c38-8297-4188-a572-42d3c5609fb3
  > obtain a discount on their medical bills when their family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.
- Discount steps https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=1c9a2c38-8297-4188-a572-42d3c5609fb3
  > Therefore, all eligible individuals will receive a 35% discount on their medical bills.
- Insured patients https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=aa6b57e7-3362-49a9-9a6b-5f4168b3ae9b
  > Qualifying underinsured patients will not be billed for any unpaid balance after their third-party insurance payment is received.
- Asset test https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=aa6b57e7-3362-49a9-9a6b-5f4168b3ae9b
  > their net assets do not exceed $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 per family.
- Residency https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=aa6b57e7-3362-49a9-9a6b-5f4168b3ae9b
  > This program is only available to residents of Contra Costa County.
- Very large bills https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=aa6b57e7-3362-49a9-9a6b-5f4168b3ae9b
  > if they have out-of-pocket medical expenses in the prior 12 months (whether or not at CCRMC and HCs that exceeds 10% of the family’s income.
- Deadline https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=aa6b57e7-3362-49a9-9a6b-5f4168b3ae9b
  > Patients must apply for Charity Care eligibility within 180 days of initial billing.
- Documents https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=aa6b57e7-3362-49a9-9a6b-5f4168b3ae9b
  > Documentation of income is limited to recent pay stubs or a written self-attestation of earned income if self-employed, and statements from financial institutions.
- Financial counseling phone https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=aa6b57e7-3362-49a9-9a6b-5f4168b3ae9b
  > For more information, please contact a Financial Counselor at (800) 771-4270.
- Free care conflict in attachment https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=aa6b57e7-3362-49a9-9a6b-5f4168b3ae9b
  > family income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level and their net allowable assets do not exceed $2,000

Last checked 2026-11-10.

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