Help Paying Your Bill

Your options may include:

• Financial assistance (charity care): For patients without insurance who earn less than 200% of the federal poverty level, we will fully forgive the entire bill. 
• Discounted payment: For patients who earn between 201% and 400% of the federal poverty level, we will forgive a portion of your bill. Scripps will not bill qualified patients for emergency or other medically necessary care more than the amount we generally bill patients having Medicare coverage.
• Self-pay program: Discounted bills to all uninsured patients, regardless of income level
• Payment plans: Interest-free, extended-payment plans 

We make every effort to identify patients who may benefit from financial assistance as soon as possible and provide counseling and language interpretation when needed. We offer free services for people with disabilities, such as documents in braille, large print or audio. Call 858-690-9070 for questions.

On the website, you can Open our Accessibility Menu to make the text bigger and select other settings such as increasing the text spacing, changing the contrast and using a screen reader. 

In addition, we will not apply wage garnishment or liens on primary residences as a way of collecting unpaid hospital bills. We will not charge patients qualified for financial assistance more than Scripps’ discounted financial assistance amount.

To see if you qualify for financial assistance, complete a financial assistance application. We will evaluate the options you are eligible for based on your specific financial situation. For assistance in completing an application or for additional information on financial assistance, please call 877-727-4777.

Apply electronically on MyScripps

• Login to your MyScripps account. This link will take you directly to the Financial Assistance section. You can also find it under Menu, then Billing. (If you don’t have a MyScripps account, click “Sign up now” from the main screen.)
• Follow the prompts to complete each section of the application, including Personal Info, Income, Expenses and Upload.

Download and print an application. Complete and upload to MyScripps, mail or fax the application and documents.

Request an application by calling 877-727-4777 or visiting a Scripps admitting department.

Mail the application to:  

10790 Rancho Bernardo Road, 4S-205

Attn: Patient Financial Services

San Diego, CA 92127

Fax the application: 858-927-5070

Learn more about our financial assistance programs. You can view, print and download the documents below.

Not all doctors who practice at Scripps take part in our financial assistance program. To see if your doctor is included, review the Financial Assistance Provider Listing (PDF, 600 KB) of participating and nonparticipating doctors.

• Included: If your doctor’s name is highlighted on the list, they are included in the Scripps Financial Assistance Program.
• Not included: If your doctor's name is not highlighted on the list, they do not participate in the Scripps Financial Assistance Program. Be sure to ask if they have a private financial assistance policy.

If you received emergency services at the hospital, you will receive a separate bill for the emergency room physician. Questions regarding physician’s services should be directed to the emergency physician's billing company. 

An emergency physician who provides emergency medical services is also required by law to provide discounts to uninsured patients or patients with high medical costs who are at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.

You may qualify for a government-sponsored program, such as Medi-Cal, County Medical Services or Medicare. To obtain an application for Medi-Cal, please call 866-262-9881 or request one from the hospital registration staff. Effective Jan. 1, 2014, new income requirements mean that Medi-Cal can cover more people even if they didn’t qualify in the past.

You may also qualify for insurance through the Covered California health insurance exchange. Depending on your income level, you may be able to purchase an insurance plan with the help of government subsidies that reduce the cost of your monthly premium. To learn more, visit CoveredCA.com or call 800-300-1506.

Scripps is committed to being transparent about our charges. For Scripps patients, learn how to get a billing estimate or find more information on your MyScripps patient portal.

The Hospital Bill Complaint Program is a state program that reviews hospital decisions about whether you qualify for help paying your hospital bill. If you believe you were wrongly denied financial assistance, you may file a complaint with the Hospital Bill Complaint Program. Go to HospitalBillComplaintProgram.hcai.ca.gov for more information and to file a complaint. 

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

• Contact our financial counselors at 800-690-9070
• Visit the main admitting department at any Scripps hospital 
• Scripps Corporate Business Services, 10790 Rancho Bernardo Road, San Diego, CA 92127
• Sign up for a MyScripps account or login to your existing MyScripps account to begin your application for financial assistance