UCSF, Stanford, and Yale operate charity care programs that cover some or all of a patient's hospital bills based on family income, regardless of insurance status. These are not scholarships you apply to after the fact—they are hospital financial assistance policies that reduce your bill before you receive a bill, if you qualify. All three hospitals use a single unified application and determine eligibility primarily by income documentation, with no asset limits at UCSF and minimal asset scrutiny at Stanford and Yale. The three programs differ in their income thresholds and the scope of services covered, so the hospital where you receive care determines your assistance level.
Table of Contents
- Income Thresholds and Assistance Levels
- How to Apply and What You Need
- What These Programs Actually Cover
- Key Differences Between the Three Programs
- What to Do If You're Denied or Don't Know Your Income
- Frequently Asked Questions
Income Thresholds and Assistance Levels
UCSF's charity care program has three tiers based on federal poverty level (FPL). Uninsured patients earning 0–200% FPL receive 100% free care; those earning 201–350% FPL receive partial discounts; and those earning 351–400% FPL receive a 50% discount for medically necessary services at UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals.
A family of four at 200% FPL earns approximately $55,500 annually; at 400% FPL, approximately $111,000. Stanford Healthcare extends assistance further: uninsured patients at 0–400% FPL and insured patients with medical bills exceeding 10% of family income receive full assistance for medically necessary care at Stanford Hospital and outpatient clinics. An insured patient earning $60,000 with a $6,000 hospital bill (10% of income) qualifies for full assistance even if their income is above 400% FPL.
Yale new Haven's program covers a wider income range: patients with family income at or below 250% FPL receive 100% free care, with partial discounts extending to 550% FPL for both uninsured and insured patients. Yale also presumes eligibility for uninsured patients using the university's student-run clinics, including the Haven Free Clinic, without requiring a separate application.
How to Apply and What You Need
All three hospitals accept a single unified application to be considered for all free and discounted care programs simultaneously, including hospital bed funds and other assistance. You do not need to reapply for each program within the same hospital system. Stanford processes applications by phone, fax, or email for faster handling: call 844-498-2900 (Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
PST), fax 650-493-8623, or email [email protected]. UCSF accepts applications through MyChart, its patient portal, and Yale accepts applications by mail and online. Income verification is the primary eligibility gate at all three hospitals. Bring recent pay stubs, tax returns, or a letter from your employer; if you are self-employed or receiving benefits, bring documentation of that income. UCSF explicitly does not consider monetary assets when determining eligibility under California's Hospital Fair Pricing Act, while Stanford and Yale base eligibility primarily on family income with no stated asset limits, though applications may request supporting financial records.
What These Programs Actually Cover
Charity care at all three hospitals covers medically necessary inpatient and outpatient services—emergency room visits, surgery, imaging, lab work, and hospital-based therapy. The programs do not cover elective cosmetic procedures, experimental treatments not covered by insurance, or non-hospital-based physician services at a separate clinic. At UCSF and Stanford, "medically necessary" means care required to diagnose or treat an illness or injury; at Yale, this includes emergency services and care for patients with chronic conditions. None of the three hospitals waive copays and deductibles for insured patients whose insurance is active; they reduce only the patient's financial responsibility after insurance has paid.
Key Differences Between the Three Programs
The most significant difference is income reach: Yale's 550% FPL threshold covers households well into the middle class, while UCSF's highest threshold of 400% FPL and Stanford's dual criteria (400% FPL for uninsured, 10% of income for insured) are narrower. For a family of four earning $90,000, Yale offers at least partial assistance; UCSF and Stanford may not, depending on insurance status.
Stanford's 10% out-of-pocket rule is a second major distinction. An insured patient with a $20,000 hospital bill and $80,000 family income pays 25% of income out of pocket with insurance; if that 25% exceeds 10% of income (which it does), Stanford's program covers most of the gap. UCSF and Yale do not apply this percentage-of-income test to insured patients, only to uninsured ones.
Yale's presumed eligibility for student clinic patients is a third difference—no application required if you receive primary care at a university student clinic. UCSF and Stanford do not have an equivalent automatic enrollment pathway.
What to Do If You're Denied or Don't Know Your Income
If your application is denied, ask the hospital's patient advocate office to review the decision. All three hospitals have appeal processes, and a denial often results from incomplete income documentation rather than ineligibility. If you cannot find pay stubs or tax returns, a notarized statement of income from an employer or a recent unemployment benefit letter counts as documentation.
If your income varies—you are self-employed, freelance, or between jobs—bring documentation covering the most recent 12 months and explain the variation to the financial counselor. All three hospitals use rolling 12-month income calculations, not annual tax returns alone, so a recent job loss may lower your calculated income enough to qualify. If you receive the bill after treatment, you can still apply. Charity care is retroactive; hospitals must review applications submitted within 120 days of the bill date at minimum, and often process older bills if you can show the account was flagged for review at the time of service.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I have insurance, can I still apply for charity care?
Yes. All three hospitals offer charity care to insured patients whose bills exceed a certain threshold of family income. Stanford covers insured patients if bills exceed 10% of income; Yale covers insured patients up to 550% FPL. UCSF's program is primarily for uninsured patients but may assist insured patients in financial hardship—call 1-866-433-4035 to ask.
Do these programs cover my doctor's bill, or just the hospital bill?
Hospital charity care covers the hospital's charges for facility, nursing, imaging, lab, and therapy services. Physician fees (the doctor's separate bill) are billed and collected separately by the physician's practice, not the hospital, and are not covered by these programs. Ask your doctor's office about their own financial assistance policies.
Can the hospital garnish my wages or deny me future care if I can't pay?
No. Federal law prohibits hospitals from suing patients for debt from medically necessary services, and from denying future emergency care based on unpaid bills. California law additionally prohibits hospitals from reporting to credit agencies for medical debt at nonprofits like UCSF and Stanford. Yale is in Connecticut, where state law does not forbid reporting, but Yale's written policy commits not to report medical debt to credit agencies.