Common Questions About Paying for Care
General Billing Questions
How do I update my insurance or address information?
Please contact both customer service numbers above with your new information.
May I apply for Medi-Cal at your facility?
Yes, please call 323-660-2450 and ask for the Admitting Financial Counselor.
Do you establish payment plans with families?
Yes, please call the Customer Service phone number on the bill for which you wish to work out a payment plan, and we will work with you.
Why am I being charged a deductible instead of a co-pay for an office visit?
A visit to a clinic at our hospital provides you with access to a multitude of specialists, all on-site. At a doctor's office, you would only be able to access the doctor with whom you had scheduled an appointment. As a result, insurance providers treat these types of visits differently for billing purposes.
I provided my insurance or Medi-Cal information when I arrived for my child's visit. Why am I receiving a bill?
If you are responsible for a co-pay, co-insurance or a deductible payment and you have not paid this, you will receive a bill.
Why hasn't my insurance paid my claim?
It can take up to 45 days for health plans to process claims. If the health plan requests additional information such as medical records, it can then take up to 60-90 days for them to process our claim.
How can I provide feedback about my child's care?
Feedback is very important to us. We use feedback from parents and guardians to modify our policies and procedures. Please visit our Feedback Page to share your thoughts with us about something we did well or ways in which we can improve.
What will my bill look like?
- View a sample of a Hospital Bill.
- View a sample of a Physician Bill.
I haven’t received a bill. Who should I call?
If you have not received a bill and feel that you should have, please contact us at 323-361-2515 for your hospital bill, and 323-361-2336 for your physician bill.
I overpaid. Who do I call for a refund?
If you have overpaid and are due a refund, please contact the Customer Service department for the bill on which you have made the overpayment. Our staff will verify that an overpayment was made and will request a check to be sent to you. Please allow a minimum of 4 weeks for the review and reversal process to be completed.
My statement is incorrect. Who do I speak with?
You are welcome to contact the Customer Service department listed on the bill, or call 800-404-6627 for your hospital bill or 323-361-2336 for your physician bill.
Financial Assistance Questions
May I apply for charity care or discounted care?
If you do not have health insurance or you have high health care bills, we may be able to help. Our staff works with patients and families to find programs that cover health care costs for certain care and services from Children’s Hospital. We can also help families with our charity care and discounted care program. This type of help is open for those with a family income less than or equal to 400% of the federal poverty level for free care, or up to 600% of the federal poverty level for discounted care, who do not have insurance or have insurance that does not cover health care costs. To talk to someone or get help finding a program that may help pay the hospital or health care services bill, please call Patient Business Services at 323-361-2515.
What kinds of financial assistance does Children’s Hospital Los Angeles offer?
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) offers two types of Financial Assistance. You may qualify for these if you cannot afford to pay the full amount of your hospital bill because you don’t have health insurance, or your family has high medical expenses.
These two types of Financial Assistance—Charity Care and Discounted Care—are explained in CHLA’s Financial Assistance Policy. You may request the policy as a printout, or read it online here.
- If you qualify for Charity Care, CHLA will waive the full amount of your hospital bill for emergency or medically necessary services.
- If you qualify for Discounted Care, CHLA will offer you a discount on your hospital bill for these services.
Whichever program you qualify for, as a patient eligible for Financial Assistance, you will not be charged more than the “Amounts Generally Billed” to patients with insurance for emergency or other medically necessary hospital services.
Please note that Financial Assistance offered by CHLA only applies to hospital bills, not bills from physicians who see patients at CHLA. Please contact Pediatric Management Group customer service directly at 323- 361-2336 about any financial assistance they may offer for physicians’ services.
Am I eligible for financial assistance from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles?
If you are uninsured and/or have high medical expenses, you may qualify for Charity Care if your family income is at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. (The Federal Poverty Level is updated annually by the federal government and is available on publicly accessible government websites.)
You may qualify for Discounted Care if your family income is above 400%, but at or below 600% of the Federal Poverty Level.
In order to receive Charity Care or Discounted Care, you must submit an application to CHLA. Once CHLA receives your completed application, CHLA will determine whether you are eligible and notify you in writing within 30 days.
Where can I get a copy of the application?
Free printed copies of CHLA’s Financial Assistance application, Financial Assistance Policy, and this summary are available upon request, in the Admitting area located near the main entrance to the hospital, in the Emergency Room registration area, and in other areas in the hospital, located at 4650 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027. These materials are also available on the Billing and Insurance page of CHLA’s website. You can also request that a free copy be mailed to you by calling Patient Business Services at 800-404-6627.
How Do I Apply?
You or your representative can apply for Financial Assistance by submitting a completed application (including all required documentation specified in the application) to CHLA’s Patient Business Services office in any of the following ways:
By mail or in person to:
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Patient Business Services
4650 Sunset Boulevard, MS #26
Los Angeles, CA 90027
CHLA staff cannot assist with completing the Financial Assistance application, but you can get help with the application from the Health Consumer Center of Los Angeles. This nonprofit organization is located at 13327 Van Nuys Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331 and its phone number is 800-896-3203.
Is the application available in languages other than English?
Translations of the Financial Assistance Policy, this summary, and the application form are available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic and Armenian. If you would like an interpreter to help you in a different language, please ask a CHLA staff member for assistance.
Where can I get more information?
If you would like more information about CHLA’s Financial Assistance Policy, please contact the Patient Business Services office by calling 800-404-6627 or visiting Patient Business Services.
Updated Aug. 11, 2022