El Centro Regional Medical Center
Acute care hospital in El Centro, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
El Centro Regional 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.
| People in household | Free care up to | Discount 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 |
Discount steps
- 0% to 200% of poverty level, you pay $0 (Full Charity Care)
- 201% to 400% of poverty level, you pay Medicare rate (100% of DRG inpatient, 100% of Medicare APCs outpatient), less any insurance payment
How to apply
- Call (760) 339-7277 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Financial Assistance Program (FAP), Full Charity Care Program (Policy No. ADM-00312; effective 08/01/2026)
- Bring federal income tax return (Form 1040) or recent pay stubs, proof of medical expenses paid in the past 12 months, if insured and claiming high medical costs from other providers.
- 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
- Uninsured patients above 400% of the poverty level with a catastrophic medical event may be considered; as a guideline, a patient bill over $150,000
- 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 facility charges billed by El Centro Regional Medical Center
- Not covered
- Physician services are not covered. Medi-Cal share of cost is not covered. Rural health clinic visits use a separate sliding fee scale.
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 200% of the poverty level. From 201% to 400%, you pay the Medicare rate, minus anything your insurance paid. If insurance already paid more than the Medicare rate, you owe nothing more. Insured patients qualify through high medical costs, meaning out-of-pocket costs over 10% of family income. Savings and other assets are not counted. There is no time limit to apply, and all open accounts are reviewed. You do not have to apply for Medicare or Medi-Cal first. Approval also covers services in the six months after approval. Uninsured patients above 400% with a very large bill may be considered case by case. Appeals go in writing to the Director of the Patient Business Office, then to the Chief Financial Officer. The policy has a placeholder where it should name the rural health clinic sliding fee policy, and it says emergency doctors must give discounts at or below the poverty level, where the law says 400% of it.
Sources
- Free care level
An Eligible Patient with Family income at 200% or less of the established poverty income level
- Discount level
An Eligible Patient with Family income between 201% and 400% of the established poverty income level
- Discount steps
Uninsured/self-pay Eligible Patient: The patient’s payment obligation will be the Medicare payment amount for the services.
- Insured patients
For patients with insurance, any discount shall be applied directly to the patient’s out-of-pocket responsibility.
- Asset test
ECRMC will not consider the patient's monetary assets in determining eligibility for Full Charity Care or Discount Payment.
- Very large bills
any account with a patient liability for services rendered that exceeds $150,000.00 may be considered for eligibility as a catastrophic medical event.
- What is not covered
This policy does not apply to the following, except as required by law: Physician services;
- Documents
Federal Income Tax Return (Form 1040) for patient and spouse or domestic partner from the year the patient was first billed
- Languages
ECRMC shall ensure that this Policy and requisite notices are translated into English and Spanish
- Financial counseling phone
If you have questions, please call your financial counselors at (760) 339- 7277.
- No deadline
There are no time limits for applying for Financial Assistance
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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