Providence St. Joseph Hospital: Financial Assistance & Charity Care
Can't afford a bill from Providence St. Joseph Hospital? You may not have to pay all of it. Nonprofit hospitals must offer financial assistance — here are this hospital's actual income limits and how to apply, taken from its own published policy.
Quick facts
Free care: Not published — call the billing department to ask. Providence's California summary confirms free or low-cost care for qualifying patients and says patients with family income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level are generally eligible for a discount, but it does not publish a separate free-care income limit — call the financial counselors to confirm free-care eligibility for your situation.
Discounted care: Discounted care is generally available if your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.
How to apply: Providence: Financial assistance
Phone: 855-229-6466 — Financial counselors (Mon-Fri, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Pacific).
How to apply
- Check the income limits above — free or discounted care is based on your family's income and size, and the limits depend on the state where you got care.
- Fill out Providence's financial assistance application (free online, or pick up a paper copy at the hospital's registration desk).
- Attach proof of income (a tax return, pay stubs, or W-2s) and send the application to the address on the form, or bring it to a hospital financial counselor. Your bill is put on hold while your application is being reviewed.
- You will get a written decision within 30 days (14 days in Washington). If you are approved, it covers eligible care for about 9 months.
Good to know
- You can apply up to 240 days after your first bill — even if the bill already went to collections.
- A new bill means a new application — you can apply more than once. More in our guide You Might Not Have to Pay That Hospital Bill.
- Whatever remains after assistance can still be negotiated: How to Negotiate a Hospital Bill.
- Free help applying: Dollar For walks you through it at no cost.
See what Providence St. Joseph Hospital charges
Check if you qualify at other hospitals
Sources
- Policy details above come from the hospital's own published materials, linked below. Policies change — if a link breaks or a number looks off, call the hospital and please tell us.
- Providence Financial Assistance Policy - Plain Language Summary - California
- Providence: Get help paying your medical bills