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Improving Access to Care for Vulnerable Populations

Medical Financial Assistance Program helps qualified, low-income patients who don’t have the financial means to pay for medical care they receive at Kaiser Permanente

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Kaiser Permanente is committed to providing programs that facilitate access to care for vulnerable populations. Improving health care access for those with limited incomes and resources is fundamental to our social mission. Our Medical Financial Assistance Program provides assistance to qualified, low-income patients, including, but not limited to, the uninsured and members who do not have the financial means to pay for medical care they receive from Kaiser Permanente. Patients must apply and meet the eligibility requirements to qualify.

MFA eligibility and coverage

In the Southern California region, people whose household income is at or below 350% of the federal poverty level are eligible for the MFA program. Patients who have experienced unusually high, out-of-pocket medical expenses may also be eligible, regardless of household income. Kaiser Permanente members who have a deductible must meet high medical expense criteria to be eligible for the program. Please refer to the MFA Policy for a complete description of the program eligibility requirements.

The MFA program covers emergency and medically necessary care provided at Kaiser Permanente medical offices, hospitals, or pharmacies, or provided by our physicians or care team providers. In California, the MFA program does not cover health coverage premiums; optical and hearing aids; and cosmetic, non-urgent, and elective services.

A family story

MFA has helped families like Jeff and Sara Simmons from Windsor, California, who received medical financial assistance when their medical bills unexpectedly doubled after 1 parent and 1 of 2 children were diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

“We feel like we’re a pretty average family,” Jeff said. “We don’t have a lot of expenses. We don’t have a lot of debt. But when you get surprised with some of those large bills, they can really change things quickly for a family.”

Click here to watch their video story.

The MFA program is one of the most generous in the health care industry and is available to those patients in greatest need. Program information and application are available in multiple languages via the MFA website or by calling 1-866-399-7696, Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Financial counselors within the Admitting or Emergency departments at any Kaiser Permanente hospital are also available to discuss.