Jerold Phelps Community Hospital
Critical access hospital in Garberville, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
Jerold Phelps Community Hospital 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 (charity care); a $10 fee per primary care clinic visit
How to apply
- Call (877) 673-0903 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Charity Care, Financial Assistance, Payment Plans, Discounted and Extended Payment Plans (on file with HCAI 06/17/2026)
- Bring pay stubs if you worked in the 12 months before the service, tax returns if you did not work in those 12 months, proof of essential living expenses for an extended payment plan.
- 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.
- Residency
- None. Patients may live in the U.S. or another country.
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
- All medically necessary services at Southern Humboldt Community Healthcare District facilities, including deductibles and copays for insured patients unless the insurance contract bars discounts.
- Not covered
- Services from other organizations may not be covered.
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 at or below 400% of the poverty level, for uninsured patients and for insured patients with high medical costs. The policy offers only free care in that range and no separate partial discount tier, so we list the discount limit as the same 400%. It also mentions discounted and extended payment plans for incomes at or above 400%, but it gives no set discount amount and no upper limit. Patients below 400% pay no more than Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay. Uninsured patients get 20% off if they pay at the time of service or within 30 days of the first bill. Primary care clinic visits carry a $10 fee even when care is free. Papers must be sent within 90 days of applying. A decision comes in writing, within 14 to 30 days of a complete application. Denied patients can ask for a review, and the result of the review is final. You can also call (707) 923-3921. The policy does not say whether savings are counted.
Sources
- Free care level
To be considered for "charity care", the patient's family income must be at or below 400% of the current Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
- Discount level
To be considered for Discounted and Extended Payment Plans, the patient's family income maybe at or above 400% of the current Federal Poverty Level (FPL).
- Discount steps
if a patient sees their primary care provider in the clinic and qualifies for 100% discounted services, there would be a nominal fee of $10
- Insured patients
If the patient is insured with high medical costs, the patient's family income must be at or below 400% of the current FPL.
- Residency
The patient may be a resident of the U.S. or another country.
- What is not covered
Financial assistance may not cover all health care costs, including services provided by other organizations.
- Documents
Proof of income is limited to pay stubs or income tax returns.
- Financial counseling phone
Patients who want further information can contact the billing office at 877-673- 0903
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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