Highland Hospital
Acute care hospital in Oakland, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
Highland Hospital 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 $0 if uninsured; $0 patient share if insured with medical costs over 10% of family income
How to apply
- Call (510) 437-4961 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Financial Assistance Policy (Alameda Health System; revised 12/2019, 03/2020, 01/2021)
- Bring recent pay stubs (within 6 months of the first bill) or a federal tax return (Form 1040) for you and your spouse or partner.
- 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.
- Very large bills
- Insured patients at or below 400% of the poverty level whose medical bills in the past 12 months are over 10% of family income get their share written off
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 care and other medically necessary care at Alameda Health System hospitals and hospital-based sites
- Not covered
- Emergency room doctors are not covered by this policy and bill separately. Doctors who are not billed by AHS are not covered. Medi-Cal share of cost is not covered. Health center (FQHC) sliding fees are under a separate policy.
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 if you have no insurance and your family income is at or below 400% of the poverty level. If you have insurance, your income is at or below 400%, and your medical bills in the past 12 months are over 10% of family income, your share of the bill is written off. Uninsured patients who do not get charity care can get 50% off full charges under a separate self-pay discount policy, with no income limit stated. The policy does not say whether savings or other assets are counted. Approval lasts one year. AHS tries to decide within 30 days of getting your papers. Appeals go in writing to the Director of Patient Financial Services or the Director of Patient Access within 30 days of the decision letter. The policy names other programs to check, including Medi-Cal, Health PAC, Victims of Crime, and California Children Services. The application form says it is available in the main languages of the area but does not name them. The filed policy was last revised 01/2021 and lists a next review date of 10/2025.
Sources
- Free care level
who is a Self-Pay Patient or is a High Medical Cost Patient, and who has a Family Income that does not exceed 400 percent
- Discount level
High Medical Cost Patient: A patient whose Family Income is at or below 400 percent of the FPL
- Discount steps
Charity Care: Free care for the patient, including full charity care and high medical cost charity care
- Insured patients
High Medical Cost Charity Care (for Insured Patients)
- Very large bills
incurred at AHS or other providers in the past 12 months) exceed 10% of the patient’s Family Income
- What is not covered
Emergency room physicians, who provide emergency medical services in an AHS general acute care facility are excluded from this Policy.
- Documents
Copy of Federal Income Tax Return (Form 1040) for patient and spouse or domestic partner
- Financial counseling phone
Contact Financial Counselors at 510-437-4961
- Facility named in policy
□ Highland Hospital □ San Leandro Hospital □ Alameda Hospital □ Fairmont Hospital
- Self pay discount
AHS offers a 50% discount off full charges for patients that do not qualify for any other federal, state, or county programs
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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