Ventura County Medical Center
Acute care hospital in Ventura, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
Ventura County Medical Center likely gives free care to households with a yearly income up to $15,960 for 1 person, $21,640 for 2, $27,320 for 3, $33,000 for 4, $38,680 for 5 or $44,360 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.
| People in household | Free care up to | Discount up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,960 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $154,720 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $177,440 |
Discount steps
- 0% to 100% of poverty level, you pay $0 (100% Charity Care)
- 101% to 400% of poverty level, you pay No more than what Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay, whichever is greater
How to apply
- Call (805) 648-9553 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- 110.030 Charity Care Policy and 110.032 Discount Payment Program Policy (effective 10/27/2026)
- Bring recent pay stubs or a recent federal income tax return, benefit letter (Social Security, disability, etc.), if that is your income.
- 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.
- Savings and property
- The policy looks at income only, not savings or property.
- Very large bills
- Insured patients at or below 400% of the poverty level whose out-of-pocket costs are over 10% of family income count as having high medical costs
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 services at Ventura County Medical Center and Santa Paula Hospital, including hospital-based outpatient departments and clinics billed as hospital services
- Not covered
- Federally Qualified Health Center visits and clinic services billed under a clinic fee schedule use a separate sliding fee program. Emergency department doctors are not hospital employees and have their own discount program.
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 your family income is at or below 100% of the poverty level. Up to 400%, uninsured patients and insured patients with high medical costs pay no more than Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay, whichever is more. Savings and other assets are not counted. You can apply at any time, before or after care, and immigration status does not matter. Approval lasts 12 months. The discount policy says people above 400% may get a partial discount, but the application says help above 400% is not available. Hospital leaders can give free care in unusual cases. Disputes go to the Health Care Agency Chief Financial Officer. One notice in the policy prints the phone number as 805-648-553, which is missing a digit. The same policy covers Santa Paula Hospital.
Sources
- Free care level
Generally, patients with family income between 0% to 100% of the Federal Poverty Level will be eligible for a discount of 100%.
- Discount level
Has family income at or below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
- Discount steps
the amount the hospital would expect, in good faith, to receive for providing the same services from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever amount is greater.
- Insured patients
A patient with third-party coverage may qualify as having high medical costs for purposes of this policy
- Asset test
HCA does not consider monetary assets when determining eligibility or benefit level under this policy.
- Very large bills
Annual out-of-pocket hospital costs exceed the lesser of ten percent (10%) of the patient’s current family income
- What is not covered
This policy does not apply to services provided in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) or to clinic services billed under a clinic fee schedule.
- Documents
Benefit letter (Social Security, disability, etc.)
- Financial counseling phone
please contact the Ventura County Health Care Agency by telephone at 805-648-9553
- No deadline
An application for financial assistance may be submitted at any time.
- Above 400 not available
greater than 400% NOT AVAILABLE NOT AVAILABLE
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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