Palo Verde Hospital
Critical access hospital in Blythe, CA.
Verified from the hospital's own policy
Palo Verde Hospital likely gives free care to households with a yearly income up to $15,960 for 1 person, $21,640 for 2, $27,320 for 3, $33,000 for 4, $38,680 for 5 or $44,360 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 | $15,960 | $63,840 |
| 2 | $21,640 | $86,560 |
| 3 | $27,320 | $109,280 |
| 4 | $33,000 | $132,000 |
| 5 | $38,680 | $154,720 |
| 6 | $44,360 | $177,440 |
Discount steps
- 0% to 100% of poverty level, you pay $0
- 101% to 400% of poverty level, you pay no more than the higher of the Medicare or Medi-Cal payment
How to apply
- Call (760) 922-4115 and ask for financial assistance.
- Financial Assistance Charity Care for Low Income, Uninsured/Underinsured Patients (Document No. 200, effective 05/01/2026, HCAI effective date 08/19/2026)
- Bring financial assistance application, photo ID, recent pay stubs from within 6 months before or after you were first billed, or tax returns for that year or the 12 months before, a statement of support if you have no income.
- 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.
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
- Medically necessary hospital inpatient and outpatient care at Palo Verde Hospital.
- Not covered
- Separately billed doctor services are left out. Emergency room doctors have their own policy. Outpatient prescriptions and care that is not medically necessary 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
Free care at or below 100% of the poverty level. From 101% to 400%, you pay no more than what Medicare or Medi-Cal would pay, whichever is higher. Above 400% there is no help under this policy. Savings are not counted. You can apply at any time. If you are denied, you have 10 days to appeal. Call 760-922-4115 for an appointment with the appeals manager at 760-921-5141. The phone number listed for the program is the hospital's main line. The file posted with the state as the application is an older 2024 policy, not an application form, so no application link is given here. That older file says discounts stop at 250% of the poverty level and asks for bank statements. The newer 2026 policy replaces it.
Sources
- Free care level
Patients with income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level are eligible for Paloverde Hospital Free Charity Care Program.
- Discount level
Individuals with household incomes exceeding 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are ineligible for Financial Assistance.
- Discount steps
the expected payment will not exceed the greater of the expected Medicare or Medi-Cal reimbursement.
- Insured patients
at or below 400% of federal poverty level and are uninsured or Under-Insured will be eligible to apply
- Asset test
Monetary assets will no longer be considered in determining eligibility for Charity care or discount payments.
- What is not covered
Services that are not medically necessary services or services that are separately- billed physician services are not eligible
- Documents
Copy of picture identification
- Financial counseling phone
Palo Verde Hospital Financial Assistance Program Charity Care 760-922-4115
Last checked. 2026-11-10
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