Medical Financial Assistance
Improving health care access for those with limited incomes and resources is fundamental to Kaiser Permanente’s mission. Our Medical Financial Assistance program (MFA) helps low-income, uninsured, and underserved patients receive access to care. The program provides temporary financial assistance or free care to patients who receive health care services from our providers, regardless of whether they have health coverage or are uninsured. The MFA program is one of the most generous in the health care industry and is available to those patients in greatest need. Through our charity care program, Kaiser Permanente is committed to
- offering financial counseling to determine if a patient is eligible for public assistance or Kaiser Permanente financial assistance,
- providing free or extremely low-cost care to low-income people for medically necessary services provided at our facilities and through our providers, and
- not taking legal action for nonpayment of medical bills against any person who is unemployed and without other significant income.
Who’s Eligible for Medical Financial Assistance?
- Eligibility is based on financial need. In general, people whose household income is at or below 200 percent, and in some regions up to 350 percent, of the federal poverty level are eligible for the MFA program. Families or individuals with higher incomes may qualify on a case-by-case basis.
- Patients who do not qualify for the MFA program, and whose income is at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty level, may be eligible for the Discount Payment Program for partial financial assistance.
- Patients who have experienced a catastrophic event may be eligible under special circumstances, regardless of household income.
Please note, the MFA program is not a form of health insurance and can’t be used to subsidize premiums.
How do I know if my income level meets the guidelines for Medical Financial Assistance?
View the federal poverty guideline charts.
To calculate income level at 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, multiply by 2; for 300 percent, multiply by 3; and so on.
Please note that for uninsured patients, charges for emergency and medically necessary care are limited to no more than amounts generally billed to Kaiser members or the Medicare reimbursement rates.
How can I learn more about the Medical Financial Assistance Program and how to enroll?
To learn more about the MFA program and how to enroll, please see the program qualifications and contacts information for the Kaiser Permanente region where you live:
Program information and applications are provided in a variety of languages:
