UCSF Medical Center
Acute care hospital in San Francisco, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
UCSF 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.
| 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 (uninsured: 100% of the amount due written off; insured: 100% of the patient share written off)
How to apply
- Call (866) 433-4035 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Patient Financial Assistance, Prescription Assistance, and Charity Care (UCSF Medical Center Policy 3.04.07, reviewed July 2025)
- Bring recent federal tax return or two months of recent pay stubs, insured patients with high medical costs must show proof of payment of medical costs.
- The policy gives 240 days to apply. Ask the billing office which date the count starts from.
- Residency
- United States resident (no proof of citizenship or legal residency is asked for)
- Very large bills
- Insured patients whose out-of-pocket medical costs in the past 12 months, at UCSF or elsewhere, are over 10% of family income can get their patient 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
- Medically necessary hospital inpatient and outpatient care, including hospital-based professional fees and outpatient prescriptions.
- Not covered
- Services that are not medically necessary, such as cosmetic care, acupuncture and infertility care. Physician services billed separately from the hospital. Drugs another plan or program should pay for.
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
This is the UCSF Medical Center policy. Free care at or below 400% of the poverty level. Uninsured patients get the whole bill written off. Insured patients at or below 400% can get their copays, coinsurance and deductibles written off. The policy also lists out-of-pocket costs over 10% of family income in the past 12 months as a way in for insured patients. Uninsured patients above 400% get a separate self-pay discount without applying, with no top income limit. This policy does not say how big it is. Try to apply within 240 days of the first bill. UCSF may allow more time for good cause. The application says an incomplete application is denied after 30 days, and you can send the missing papers later. You can apply on MyChart, by email to FinancialAssistance@ucsf.edu, or by mail. You may be asked to apply for Medi-Cal first. Outpatient approval lasts six months. Each new hospital stay needs a new application. You can appeal a denial in writing within 30 days. The policy is silent on savings and property. California law since 2025 does not allow hospitals to count monetary assets. The phone number is UCSF Patient Financial Services, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sources
- Free care level
Full Charity Care 1. Self-Pay Patient; and 100% write off
- Discount steps
High Medical Cost 1. Not a Self-Pay Patient (i.e. patient has 100% write off of
- Insured patients
Is not a Self-Pay Patient (i.e. the patient has a third-party source of payment);and
- Residency
While United States residency is a requirement for financial assistance, Patient Financial Services will not solicit proof of citizenship or Legal Residency
- Very large bills
out-of-pocket medical expenses in the prior twelve months (whether incurred at UCSF Medical Center or at other medical providers) that exceed 10% of Family Income.
- What is not covered
(ii) physician services billed separately from UCSF Medical Center
- Deadline
submit a completed Financial Assistance application form within 240 days (i.e. eight (8) months) of the day UCSF Medical Center sends the first bill
- Documents
Family Income will be verified using either a recent federal tax return or recent paycheck stubs.
- Financial counseling phone
by calling Patient Financial Services at 1-866-433-4035.
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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