Medical Debt Information for Consumers - Los Angeles County

If you have a medical bill that you cannot pay or did not expect, help is available.

Apply for free or discounted hospital services (charity care)

All hospitals offer discounts or bill forgiveness based on income. On average in 2025, a family of 4 earning less than $128,600 a year will usually qualify. Some hospitals may help families who earn more, too. You can apply for financial assistance before or at the time of your hospital treatment or service. You do not need to wait for a bill. You can also apply after you've received a bill - there is no time limit.

To look up a hospital’s charity care and discount care policies and fill out an application, visit the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) Hospital Fair Pricing Policy Lookup webpage.

Dollar For is a national non-profit organization that provides services for free.
This is how it works:

• You visit their website to see if you qualify for a discount or bill forgiveness and fill out the form.
• They prepare your application and send it to the hospital.
• They work with you and the hospital to try to get you medical debt relief.

dollarfor.org (website available in English and Spanish)