Medical Debt Information for Consumers

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Medical debt is an important issue in Los Angeles County, affecting one in nine adults. Angelenos across the county have bills they can’t pay for many reasons. They might have welcomed a new baby, found a worrying lump, had an accident, been rushed to an emergency room after a heart attack, or been prescribed expensive medication.

If you have a medical bill that you can’t pay or did not expect, help is available - please see the resources below. This page also includes resources on how to access no-cost or low-cost healthcare and guidance on how to navigate the complex medical billing and collections system.

To learn what the County of Los Angeles is doing to try to prevent and reduce medical debt for Angelenos, visit this page or sign up for our newsletter.

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Get Help With a Medical Bill

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.

Image of medical bill letter

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.

Dollar For (website available in English and Spanish)

Legal Advice & Assistance

Legal Aid organizations provide free legal services related to medical debt to vulnerable and low-income individuals and families. They represent clients, as well as help with insurance denials, appeals, and negotiating medical bills. Services are delivered in multiple languages, including Arabic, Armenian, Bangla, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Dari, English, Farsi, Filipino, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese.

Image of medical bill stack

Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) provides free legal services and healthcare referrals. NLSLA's Health Consumer Center represents clients with medical debt and helps with questions about healthcare programs such as Medi-Cal, Medicare, Covered California, County health programs, and in-home supportive services.
Hotline: (800) 896-3202
nlsla.org/services/healthcare

Bet Tzedek provides free legal services related to medical debt for low-income individuals and families.
Hotline: (323) 939-0506
bettzedek.org/get-help

Health Consumer Alliance is a partnership of nonprofit legal services organizations across California that offer free assistance to consumers in understanding and navigating health insurance and medical debt.
Hotline: (888) 804-3536
healthconsumer.org

Consumer Counseling

The LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA) serves consumers, businesses, and communities through education, advocacy, and complaint resolution. DCBA counselors offer information and answer questions to help you resolve a problem. They can answer questions about purchases, credit, landlord/tenant disputes, car sales, debt, and other consumer issues. Services are provided in multiple languages.

Counselors also provide direct referrals for matters related to medical debt, including incorrect billing, lawsuits filed by a debt collector, or wage garnishment, liens, and levies resulting from a lost court case. Free one-on-one service with a DCBA counselor is available. Make a telephone or an in-person appointment, call the Helpline (800) 593-8222, or visit dcba.lacounty.gov.

LA County Consumer and Business Affairs

File a complaint

California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC)
To dispute a bill, make a complaint or express a concern about medical debt or health insurance, contact the DMHC. You can get information on your rights and protections as a consumer related to medical debt.
Hotline: (888) 466-2219
dmhc.ca.gov

California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI)
If you think a hospital didn’t follow the rules for discount payments, free care, or debt collection, the Hospital Bill Complaint Program may be able to help. You can send a complaint online or by mail.

You can also look up a hospital’s policies on charity care, discount care, discount payment, and debt collection policies on the HCAI Hospital Fair Pricing Policy Lookup webpage.

infographic about navigating medical bills Navigating medical bills in the U.S. $88 billion of outstanding medical bills are currently in collections – affecting one in five Americans. Medical bills are rife with errors, and billing systems are complex. Confirming an unpaid bill often depends on whether you contact the provider, the billing department, or the insurance company. Follow these tips to navigate the complex medical billing and collections system. How did you hear about the debt? If you heard about the debt from your credit report or a credit check, learn how to review your reports and dispute errors at consumerfinance.gov/credit. If you heard about the debt from a debt collector, learn your rights at consumerfinance.gov/debt-collection. If you heard about the debt from a health care provider, do you recognize the bill and service? If you do not recognize the bill and service, contact your health care provider to request an itemized list of services and providers from your care. If the provider or service is not listed, this debt may not be yours or it may be an old debt. Contact your provider to get more information. If you recognize the bill and service but it is an unexpected bill, you may have protections under the No Surprises Act: cms.gov/nosurprises. If you recognize the bill and service and the provider or service is listed, do you believe this service should have been covered by your insurance? If you believe the service should have been covered by your insurance, contact your insurer for an explanation of benefits and an itemized list of payments. If you do not believe this service should have been covered by your insurance, did you already pay the bill? If you did pay the bill, call your provider with documentation that the bill has been paid. If you do not believe the service should have been covered by your insurance, and you can pay your medical bill, then you should pay it. If you do not believe the service should have been covered by your insurance, but you are unable to pay the bill yourself, find out if payment plans, charity care, or other assistance programs are available through your provider, state, or advocacy groups. If you cannot pay your bill, do you qualify for charity care? If you do not qualify for charity care, but believe you should qualify, see if you can appeal the decision, enter into a payment plan, or find other payment assistance programs in your local community. If you do qualify for charity care, follow the steps to enroll. Keep copies of all of your bills, correspondence, and paperwork. Follow up on your charity care application. If you are still contacted by a debt collector, tell them you’ve applied for charity care. You may also tell them to stop contacting you while your application is pending. If you are experiencing a problem with debt collectors or credit reporting, submit a complaint at consumerfinance.gov/complaint. CFPB: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau To learn more, visit consumerfinance.gov/medicaldebt
CFPB: COnsumer Financial Protection Bureau - To learn more, click here.

For more information about how to deal with medical bills and collections visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Find Low-cost Care

Healthcare Providers

  • The providers below adjust their fees based on income and family size. Even if you don't have insurance or can’t afford to pay, you will not be turned away. They can also help you enroll in Medi-Cal.
  • These agencies help families in LA County enroll in public and private health programs ph.lacounty.gov/mch/choi/CHOIContractorListEngSp.pdf.
  • 211LA provides free information and referrals in multiple languages. Call 2-1-1 or use the online chat at 211la.org.

Medi-Cal

Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid health care program that provides free or low-cost health coverage for many people with limited or no income. Medi-Cal benefits cover most medically necessary care, including doctor appointments, hospitalization, preventive care, pregnancy-related services, prescription drugs, vision care, and dental care.

In LA County, Medi-Cal is administered by the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS). Visit the DPSS Medi-Cal webpage (Spanish) to learn more and find out if you qualify.

IMPORTANT: Medi-Cal rules changed on January 1 2026, including a requirement to reapply every six months. Visit the DPSS Medi-Cal Changes webpage (Spanish) for details.

Know your rights in California


Image of California Department of Managed Healthcare flyer about accessing timely care
Health plan members have the right to an appointment when they need one.

There are limits on how long you have to wait for a healthcare appointment, including for mental health. For example, for non-urgent care, you have the right to see a primary care physician within 10 business days and a specialty care physician within 15 business days. To learn more, including what do to if you are having problems getting a timely appointment, visit the California Department of Managed Healthcare Timely Access to Care webpage.

Health plan members, including Medicare and Medi-Cal recipients have many other rights, including to:

  • Talk to a health professional at your health plan to decide if your health problem is urgent 24/7
  • Get many preventive care services without a co-pay, co-insurance, or deductible
  • Choose your own doctor and request continuity of care if your doctor or medical group leaves your health plan
  • Change to another doctor or specialist in your health plan's network if you are not satisfied
  • Get a second doctor's opinion
  • Receive treatment for certain mental health conditions
  • Receive services in your language
  • Receive accessible services if you have a disability
  • Understand your health problems and treatments
  • See a written diagnosis (description of your health problem), get a copy of your records, and add your own notes to your records
  • Keep your medical information private
  • Give informed consent when you have a treatment
  • Know why your health plan denies a service or treatment
  • File a complaint or ask for an independent medical review if you have a problem with your health plan
  • Purchase health insurance or determine Medi-Cal eligibility through Covered California
  • Stay on a parent's health plan until age 26
  • Have no annual or lifetime dollar limits on essential healthcare benefits
  • Have an advance directive to tell your doctor, family, and friends about the health care you want if you can no longer make decisions for yourself.

To learn more, visit the California Department of Managed Healthcare Your Health Care Rights webpage.

Get Involved

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To keep up with new developments related to medical debt, including programs and policies, resources, and news of community led activities and public and private efforts to address the problem, sign up to receive our Medical Debt in LA County newsletter.