Help Paying Your Bill

Help Paying Your Bill

Overview

Welcome to Kern Valley Healthcare District’ Help Paying Your Bill Information Center. We are here to help you. We accept many major private insurance plans, as well as Medicare, Medi-Cal, and a number of several other government programs.

If you have insurance, we will file your insurance claim for you if we are provided with complete and accurate information. Please remember you are responsible for policy deductibles, co-payments, co-insurance, and charges not covered by your insurer.

Please check your insurance plan or contact your insurance company directly to understand your specific requirements and limits.

Outside service providers, ambulances, and outside reference laboratories such as Lab Corp, will bill you separately for their services.

Financial Assistance & Charity Care Policy

Kern Valley Healthcare District (KVHD) wants to make sure everyone can get medical care—even if they don’t have enough money or insurance to pay for it. This policy explains how KVHD helps people who are struggling to pay their medical bills. KVHD helps patients who need medical care but have trouble paying. Some people can get free or discounted care depending on their income and financial situation.

KVHD offers free or discounted care based on your income and situation:

• Free care if your income is very low (at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level).
• Discounted care if your income is between 101% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Level.
• Discounts if your medical bills are more than 30% of your annual income.
• Help for insured patients with very high out-of-pocket costs.
• Automatic discount for uninsured patients who don’t qualify for other programs.
• Payment plans that allow you to pay your balance over time

Eligibility

Kern Valley Healthcare District (KVHD) offers financial assistance and charity care for eligible patients who need emergency or medically necessary healthcare services.

You may qualify for free or discounted care if your or your family’s income is at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. We offer discounts on certain high-cost coverage, uninsured patient discounts, and flexible payment plans.

To learn more or get a copy of our Financial Assistance and Charity Care Policy, you can:

• Call our Financial Counseling Department at (760) 379-2681 ext. 512
• Email us at billing@kvhd.org
• Download a pdf of the policy below (Helpful Resource Links)

How to Apply for Financial Help, Get Information, or Assistance

Tell KVHD—they will check if you qualify. You can get the application:

• In person at KVHD’s Financial Counselor’s Office, 6412 Laurel Ave., Lake Isabella CA 93240. Monday through Friday. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• By email request: billing@kvhd.org
• Download the application below (Helpful Resource Links)

Help in Your Language – Download PDF

Hospital Bill Complaint Program

The patient or patient’s authorized representative may file a complaint through the Department’s Hospital Bill Complaint Program online patient complaint portal by visiting the Department’s website at HospitalBillComplaintProgram.hcai.ca.gov, or by mail to the Department of Health Care Access and Information, Hospital Bill Complaint Program, located at 2020 West El Camino Avenue, Suite 1101, Sacramento, CA 95833.

Help Paying Your Bill

There are free consumer advocacy organizations that will help you understand the billing and payment process. Call the Health Consumer Alliance at (888) 804-3536 or go to healthconsumer.org for more information.

Helpful Resource Links

All the following are downloadable PDFs.

– Financial Assistance Application and Plain Language Summary – English

– Financial Assistance Application and Plain Language Summary – Spanish (coming soon)

– Financial Assistance and Charity Care Policy – English

– Financial Assistance and Charity Care Policy – Spanish (coming soon)

– Discharge Notice 2025 – English

– Discharge Notice 2025 – Spanish (coming soon)