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Dignity Health Central California financial assistance

At Dignity Health, we strive to help patients manage medical costs with fairness and compassion, offering support to address financial responsibilities.

Financial assistance

At Dignity Health, creating healthier communities and advocating for the poor and vulnerable is both our mission and our passion. If you need help paying your hospital bill, you may qualify for financial assistance or our flexible payment plans to help you manage your balance.

The CommonSpirit Health Financial Assistance Policy (available in multiple languages) applies to uninsured and underinsured patients receiving care at our facilities. It includes both charity care and discounted payment programs.

Charity care provides full financial assistance (100% discount) to qualifying patients, relieving them — and their guarantor — of all financial responsibility for eligible services.

  • If you are uninsured or underinsured with a family income at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level, you may qualify to receive hospital services at no cost.

Discounted payment programs provide partial financial assistance based on family size, income and/or financial resources.

  • If your annual family income is between 250% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Level, you may be eligible to have your bills for medically necessary hospital services reduced to the highest amount reasonably expected to be paid by a government payer (typically Medicare).

  • If your annual family income is between 401% and 500% of the Federal Poverty Level, you may be eligible to have your bills reduced to the Amount Generally Billed (AGB). AGB is a federally defined amount that reflects what private insurers and Medicare typically pay for medically necessary services, including copays and deductibles.

Select your location and preferred language below to review the financial assistance policy summary.

Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, Mercy Hospital Downtown, Mercy Hospital Southwest , Mercy Medical Center Merced, Mark Twain Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Behavioral Health Center and St. Joseph's Medical Center

Select your preferred language below to review the financial assistance policy.

Select your preferred language below to review the billing and collections policy.

CommonSpirit’s Financial Assistance Policy covers hospital services, including those provided by Dignity Health’s employees at each hospital facility. Services provided by physicians (other than resident physicians, where applicable) within Dignity Health hospital facilities are not covered by the Financial Assistance Policy unless those physicians are specifically identified below. 

To view the list of providers who are covered or not by the financial assistance policy, please select a facility below.

Covered

Not covered

Please note:  Under California law, emergency physicians who are contracted by Dignity Health to work in the emergency department of the hospital are required to maintain their own discount and charity care policies.

Additional resources

Marketplace for individuals and small businesses to find affordable coverage in California (Affordable Care Act)

An employee’s guide to health benefits under COBRA

Free or low-cost health coverage for children and adults with limited income and resources

 

Select your location and preferred language below to review the application.

Bakersfield Memorial Hospital 

Mailing address:

Bakersfield Memorial Hospital
PO Box 1888
Bakersfield, CA 93303

Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield 

Mailing address:

Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield
PO Box 1888
Bakersfield, CA 93303

Mercy Medical Center Merced

Mailing address:

Mercy Medical Center Merced
PO Box 3008
Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-3008

Mark Twain Medical Center 

Mailing address:

Mark Twain Medical Center
PO Box 213008
Stockton, CA 95213-9008

St. Joseph's Behavioral Health Center

Mailing address:

St. Joseph's Behavioral Health
Center, PO Box 213008
Stockton, CA 95213-9010

St. Joseph's Medical Center

Mailing address:

St. Joseph's Medical Center
PO Box 213008
Stockton, CA 95213-9010

If you qualify for partial support from CommonSpirit Health, learn the amounts generally billed/reimbursed for services at CommonSpirit Health. 

For questions about our policies or forms, contact the facility where you receive care:

The Hospital Bill Complaint Program is a state program, which reviews hospital decisions about whether you qualify for help paying your hospital bill. If you believe you were wrongly denied financial assistance, you may file a complaint with the Hospital Bill Complaint Program. 


Go to the California Health Care Access and Information for more information and to file a complaint.

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Notice: "Find a Doctor" is provided by CommonSpirit Health as a convenience to you. The information on each participating doctor is submitted to CommonSpirit Health by each doctor and is not independently verified by CommonSpirit Health. Each doctor is solely responsible for the completeness and accuracy of the information listed about him or her. CommonSpirit Health is not responsible for any loss or damages caused by your reliance on the doctor information contained on Find a Doctor. You should telephone the doctor's office in advance to verify the accuracy of the information.