# Salinas Valley Health Medical Center

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

Salinas Valley Health Medical Center likely gives free care to households with a yearly income up to $31,920 for 1 person, $43,280 for 2, $54,640 for 3, $66,000 for 4, $77,360 for 5 or $88,720 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.

| Household size | Free care if yearly income is up to | Discount if yearly income is up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $31,920 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $43,280 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $54,640 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $66,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 | $77,360 | $154,720 |
| 6 | $88,720 | $177,440 |

Dollar amounts use the 2026 federal poverty guidelines.

## Discount steps

- 0% to 200% of poverty level, patient pays $0 (Full Charity Care)
- 201% to 400% of poverty level, patient pays What Medicare would pay. If insured, the gap between what insurance paid and the Medicare amount, or nothing if insurance paid more.

## How to apply

- Call (831) 755-0732 and ask for financial assistance.
- [Application form](https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=08954edb-b7a4-4003-8a68-3d24309c4a1b)
- [Financial Assistance Policy: Charity Care & Discount Payments (Policy Stat ID 17750299, effective 8/26/2025; on file with HCAI, effective 04/10/2026)](https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=75d53cbb-2a81-4ea9-b2a8-6890d78190b4)
- 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 federal tax return from the year you were first billed or the 12 months before, or pay stubs from within 6 months of the first bill, if no income, a letter explaining how you support yourself.
- Very large bills. Patients above 400% of the poverty level with a catastrophic medical event may be considered case by case, generally for a patient balance over $75,000; income and assets are weighed
- 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. Emergency and medically necessary inpatient and outpatient hospital services at Salinas Valley Health Medical Center

Not covered. Doctors bill separately and are not covered, including emergency doctors (Salinas Valley Emergency Medical Group, (831) 649-1000). Gift shop and cafeteria purchases are not covered. Medi-Cal share of cost is 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 200% of the poverty level. From 201% to 400% you pay no more than Medicare would pay. If you have insurance, you owe only the gap between what insurance paid and the Medicare amount, and nothing if insurance paid more. The policy says eligibility is for family income less than 400%, so check with the hospital if you are right at 400%. Eligibility is based on income and family size, and the policy does not say outright that savings are not counted. There is no deadline to apply. You do not have to apply for Medi-Cal first, but if you ask only for a discount you may be asked to do a Medi-Cal screening. People who are homeless or eligible for Medi-Cal or other low-income programs may get free care without applying. Payment plans are interest free and usually last up to 12 months. Appeals go in writing to the Director of Patient Financial Services, then the CFO. Mail the application to Patient Financial Services, 3 Rossi Circle, Suite C, Salinas, CA 93907. The policy calls the hospital a California healthcare district.

## Sources

- Free care level https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=75d53cbb-2a81-4ea9-b2a8-6890d78190b4
  > If the patient's adjusted gross family income is 200% or less of the established poverty income level
- Discount level https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=75d53cbb-2a81-4ea9-b2a8-6890d78190b4
  > If the patient's adjusted gross family income is between 201% and 400% of the established poverty income level
- Discount steps https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=75d53cbb-2a81-4ea9-b2a8-6890d78190b4
  > the patient's payment obligation will be the gross amount the Medicare program would have paid for the service
- Insured patients https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=75d53cbb-2a81-4ea9-b2a8-6890d78190b4
  > Insured patients who are unable to pay patient liabilities after their insurance has paid based on income may also be eligible for financial assistance.
- Very large bills https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=75d53cbb-2a81-4ea9-b2a8-6890d78190b4
  > any account with a patient liability for services rendered that exceeds $75,000 may be considered for eligibility as a catastrophic medical event.
- What is not covered https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=75d53cbb-2a81-4ea9-b2a8-6890d78190b4
  > this Financial Assistance Policy is applicable only to hospital services provided by SVHMC and specifically excludes medical care provided by physicians
- Deadline https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=75d53cbb-2a81-4ea9-b2a8-6890d78190b4
  > Eligibility for Full Charity Care or Discount Payments shall be determined at any time, and SVHMC shall not impose time limits
- Documents https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=08954edb-b7a4-4003-8a68-3d24309c4a1b
  > Paystubs within six (6) months before or after the patient is first billed; or
- Languages https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=75d53cbb-2a81-4ea9-b2a8-6890d78190b4
  > SVHMC shall make translations of this Policy, the Plain Language Summary, and the financial assistance application available in Spanish
- Financial counseling phone https://api.hdc.hcai.ca.gov/Public/Extract/Attachment?id=08954edb-b7a4-4003-8a68-3d24309c4a1b
  > If you have questions, please call your account representative at 831-755-0732.

Last checked 2026-11-10.

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