We know you might need help understanding your hospital bills and paying for them. That’s why we have friendly, bilingual financial counselors here to talk with you, either while you’re still in the hospital or after you go home.
You can work with our financial counselors to apply for health insurance if you don’t have any, and you can find out if you qualify for programs that will help pay for your hospital bills.
Find out if you qualify for financial assistance! To be considered for help paying your hospital bills, you will need to
That’s it! The process is fast and easy.
Important: Your personal information is safe with us. We share your information only with the health programs we discuss with you.
Call our financial counseling office at 424-338-8300 to make your appointment.
Below are the forms the financial counselor will give you. We're here to help you understand and complete them.
If you have health insurance, we will ask for payment from your insurer.
We'll send you a bill that shows the total cost of your care (without your insurer's payment). Then, we'll send you a second bill after your insurer pays our claim. The second bill you receive shows the amount left that you owe.
If you have questions about your Medicare, Medi-Cal, or Covered California health insurance plan and your hospital bills, you may call the agency directly
In addition to bills you receive from Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, it’s very likely that you’ll get bills from people or services that we used for your care, including your doctor, surgeon, or pain management doctor. For example, if you visit our Emergency Room and have x-rays taken, you may get separate bills from the Emergency Room physician and x-ray doctor (radiologist).
If you have questions about your bills from other providers, you can call them directly
Remember that if you need help paying for your medical care, you can work with our financial counselors to apply for financial assistance to pay your bills.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital offers a discounted charity care payment program to financially qualified patients.
If you are a self-pay patient or have high medical expenses and believe you may be a candidate for the hospital program, please contact our financial assistance coordinator at 1-800-348-9439.
Pursuant to state and federal regulations, Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital wants to inform you of your rights relative to the collection of any hospital debt.
State and federal law require debt collectors to treat you fairly and prohibit debt collectors from making false statements or threats of violence, using obscene or profane language, and making improper communications with third parties, including your employer. Except under unusual circumstances, debt collectors may not contact you before 8am or after 9pm. In general, a debt collector may not give information about your debt to another person other than your attorney or spouse. A debt collector may contact another person to confirm your location or to enforce a judgment. For more information about debt collection activities, you may contact the Federal Trade Commission by telephone at 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357) or online at ftc.gov.
Please inform the hospital if the patient has health insurance (e.g. HMO, PPO, Medicare, Medi-Cal, automobile insurance, workers’ compensation, etc.) that will cover the services rendered. If the patient lacks, or has inadequate, insurance and meets certain low and moderate-income requirements, the patient may qualify for the hospital’s discount payment or charity care program.
Applications for Medi-Cal and other government sponsored programs are available at Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital in the following offices: Admitting, Emergency Room, and Patient Financial Services or by calling Covered California at 1-800-300-1506.
Please contact the financial assistance coordinator at 1-800-348-9439 to obtain additional information about the hospital’s discount payment and charity care programs.
Bring your health insurance card with you—even if you don’t see your health insurer’s name on our list.
Health insurance coverage changes frequently. The list above does not guarantee that every test, procedure, or visit made at MLKCH will be covered by your health insurance.
Your health insurance may require you to pay a co-pay, which is a small fee due when you arrive for care. Your health insurance may also require you to meet a deductible before it begins to pay for care.
If you’re having a baby or planning a surgery at MLKCH, we encourage you to call your health insurer to talk about your health insurance coverage, and what costs you will be responsible for. You may also need to ask your health insurer for a preauthorization, which is their approval for you to have the procedure at MLKCH.
If you need help understanding your health insurance coverage, call 424-338-8300 to speak with one of our financial counselors.