Orchard Hospital
Nonprofit critical access hospital in Gridley, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
Orchard Hospital 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. We have not found an income level where care is free.
The hospital makes the final decision.
| People in household | Free care up to | Discount up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | not found | $63,840 |
| 2 | not found | $86,560 |
| 3 | not found | $109,280 |
| 4 | not found | $132,000 |
| 5 | not found | $154,720 |
| 6 | not found | $177,440 |
Discount steps
- 0% to 100% of poverty level, you pay 20% of the bill (80% discount)
- 101% to 150% of poverty level, you pay 40% of the bill (60% discount)
- 151% to 200% of poverty level, you pay 60% of the bill (40% discount)
- 201% to 400% of poverty level, you pay Not stated; a separate table sets 400% as the medically indigent income limit
How to apply
- Call (530) 846-9011 and ask for financial assistance.
- Application form
- Financial Assistance Policy for California-Based Hospitals, with Financial Assistance Free Care and Discount Payment Program tables (revised 01/2026, scanned)
- Bring recent pay stubs from within 6 months before or after the first bill, or a federal tax return (Form 1040).
- 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
- Out-of-pocket medical costs over 10% of household income count as high medical costs. The policy does not say how much is taken off for them.
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
- Licensed hospital services at Orchard Hospital and its clinics, including copays, coinsurance, and deductibles for insured patients. Doctors listed as covered providers are included.
- Not covered
- Doctors who do not bill through the hospital are not covered unless listed as covered providers. Emergency room doctors are excluded unless listed, but they must give their own discount up to 400% of the poverty level. Gift shop and cafeteria purchases are not 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
The filed policy is a scanned copy, and it never states the income limit for free care. Its discount table gives 80% off at or below 100% of the poverty level, 60% off up to 150%, and 40% off up to 200%. A second table lists 400% of the poverty level as the medically indigent limit but does not say what discount applies from 201% to 400%. The application says people at or below 400% who are uninsured or have high medical costs may get free or discounted care. Patients with active Medi-Cal, or who are eligible for it, get free care without applying. Charges are capped at what Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay, whichever is greater. Savings are not counted, except when asking to reduce a Medi-Cal or Medicare share of cost. No deadline to apply is stated. Approval lasts 180 days. Appeals go in writing to the Finance Officer within 30 days of the decision letter. The application form asks about medical debt at Cedars-Sinai or Huntington Health, which looks like a leftover from another hospital's form.
Sources
- Discount level
2026 HHS POVERTY GUIDELINES - 400% FPL
- Discount care poverty level pct application
Any individual whose family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level and is either uninsured or has high medical costs
- Discount steps
200% US Poverty Level 40% Discount
- Insured patients
as well as the patient liability for patients with insurance, including charges determined uninsured for the hospital stay, coinsurance, copayment, deductible amounts
- Asset test
Orchard Hospital will not consider the patient's monetary assets in determining eligibility for Charity Care or Discounted Care.
- Very large bills
Annual Out-of-Pocket Costs that are more than ten percent (10%) of the patient's Household Income
- What is covered
Services that are not licensed hospital services.
- What is not covered
are excluded from this policy unless listed as a "Covered Provider" in the documentation from Appendix B.
- Documents
Copy of Federal Income Tax Return (Form 1040) for patient and spouse or domestic partner from the year the patient was first billed
- Financial counseling phone
are available from any hospital registration area or by phone at (530) 846-9011.
- Facility named in policy
This policy describes Orchard Hospital's Financial Assistance (Charity Care, FREE CARE, and Discounted Care) policy for its California hospitals.
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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