How to apply for Kaiser Permanente financial assistance
Kaiser Permanente is a nonprofit health system with hospitals in California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia, Oregon and Washington. Federal law requires it to have a written policy for reducing or writing off bills by income. Its policy is the Medical Financial Assistance (MFA) Program. This is what it says.
Free care
200%
of the federal poverty level or below. The bill is written off in full.
Some help up to
400%
of the federal poverty level. Above the free line the policy discounts or caps the bill.
Apply within
240 days
of the first bill, under the policy. Later applications are often still considered.
What that means in 2026 dollars, gross household income per year
| Household | Free care, up to | Some assistance, up to |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $31,920 | $63,840 |
| 2 people | $43,280 | $86,560 |
| 3 people | $54,640 | $109,280 |
| 4 people | $66,000 | $132,000 |
2026 federal poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and DC (91 FR 1797 (15 January 2026), effective 13 January 2026); each extra person adds $5,680. Alaska and Hawaii use higher tables. Where the policy differs by state, the state line applies, see below.
What the Medical Financial Assistance (MFA) Program gives at each level
| Household income | What you get | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 200% FPL | Free | All regions |
| Up to 400% FPL | 50% off | Northern and Southern California, 201 to 400% FPL |
| Up to 300% FPL | 50% off | Maryland, Virginia and DC, 201 to 300% FPL |
| Up to 250% FPL | 75% off | Washington, 201 to 250% FPL (251 to 300%: 50%) |
| Up to 300% FPL | 75% off | Oregon and SW Washington, 201 to 300% FPL (301 to 350%: 50%, 351 to 400%: 25%) |
“Capped” means the policy limits the bill to the amounts the hospital generally bills insured patients (AGB) rather than naming a percentage. Look-back method. The 2026 Northern California hospital AGB reduction is 69% off gross charges; patients are never charged more than Medicare or Medi-Cal expected amounts.
State differences
Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii: The Colorado, Georgia and Hawaii summaries say assistance is available at or below 300% FPL but do not publish the tier percentages. Free care there is at or below 200% FPL.
Against state law, and against the other systems
California
California law (Cal. Health & Safety Code § 127405 (Hospital Fair Pricing Act)) requires a discount up to 400% of the poverty level but does not mandate free care, so the free-care line here comes from Kaiser Permanente's own policy, not the state. Statute
Among the systems on this site with California hospitals, Kaiser Permanente's 200% free-care line is below Providence (300%) and CommonSpirit Health (250%) and Sutter Health (400%).
Colorado
Colorado law (C.R.S. §§ 25.5-3-501 to 25.5-3-505) requires a discount up to 250% of the poverty level but does not mandate free care, so the free-care line here comes from Kaiser Permanente's own policy, not the state. Statute
Among the systems on this site with Colorado hospitals, Kaiser Permanente's 200% free-care line is level with CommonSpirit Health.
Georgia
Georgia law (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-3-6 (Indigent Care Trust Fund)) requires covered hospitals to give free care at or below 125% of the poverty level for uninsured patients. Kaiser Permanente's 200% line is above that floor, so the policy is more generous than the state minimum. Statute
Among the systems on this site with Georgia hospitals, Kaiser Permanente's 200% free-care line is below Ascension (250%) and Advocate Health (300%), level with CommonSpirit Health.
Hawaii
Hawaii has no state charity care law, so the only requirement is the federal one: a written policy and a cap at amounts generally billed. The lines here are Kaiser Permanente's own.
Maryland
Maryland law (Md. Code, Health-Gen. § 19-214.1; COMAR 10.37.10.26) requires every hospital to give free care at or below 200% of the poverty level. Kaiser Permanente's policy sits exactly on that floor. Statute
Among the systems on this site with Maryland hospitals, Kaiser Permanente's 200% free-care line is below Ascension (250%).
Virginia
Virginia has no income floor in state law; it requires hospitals to have and publish a policy, so the lines here are Kaiser Permanente's own. Statute
District of Columbia
District of Columbia has no state charity care law, so the only requirement is the federal one: a written policy and a cap at amounts generally billed. The lines here are Kaiser Permanente's own.
Among the systems on this site with District of Columbia hospitals, Kaiser Permanente's 200% free-care line is below Ascension (250%).
Oregon
Oregon law (ORS 442.614) requires covered hospitals to give free care at or below 200% of the poverty level for uninsured patients. Kaiser Permanente's policy sits exactly on that floor. Statute
Among the systems on this site with Oregon hospitals, Kaiser Permanente's 200% free-care line is below Providence (300%), level with CommonSpirit Health and Trinity Health.
Washington
Washington law (RCW 70.170.060(5)) requires every hospital to give free care at or below 300% of the poverty level, which is higher than the 200% line in the policy we read. If Kaiser Permanente's hospital is covered by the statute, the state minimum applies; ask for it by name. Statute
Among the systems on this site with Washington hospitals, Kaiser Permanente's 200% free-care line is below Providence (300%), level with CommonSpirit Health.
State law figures come from our state-by-state charity care table, each with its statute. A state minimum is a floor under the hospital's policy, never a ceiling.
The other ways in
Medical hardship
High medical expense rule: households whose eligible medical bills over the previous 12 months were 10% or more of gross household income qualify for full assistance regardless of income (California, Washington and Mid-Atlantic addenda).
Without an application
Patients enrolled in government assistance programs or subsidized housing, or approved for full assistance in the last 30 days, can be approved presumptively.
With insurance
The policy applies to what you owe after insurance: deductibles, copays and coinsurance. Having a plan does not rule you out.
Check your household against the poverty line
Tell the checker your state, household size and rough income. It tells you your percentage of the federal poverty level, which you can read against the Kaiser Permanente lines above, and what the law in your state requires on top. Free, no account, and your answers are not sent to advertising platforms.
Before tax, everyone in the household combined. Policies define the household themselves and the definition can move you a whole row, since a dependent who lives elsewhere may still count.
The calculation runs in your browser. Your income, household size and state are not stored, not put in the address bar, and not sent to an advertising platform. There is no account and this page carries no ad pixels or session recording.
Applying to Kaiser Permanente
- 1
Get the application. Apply online through a kp.org account, or by mail or fax using the regional PDF application.
- 2
Gather proof of income for everyone in the household: recent pay stubs, last year's tax return, or a benefits letter. If you have no income, the form will ask you to say so in writing.
- 3
Fill in every line. An incomplete application is the most common reason for a delay, and the hospital has to tell you what is missing rather than deny it outright.
- 4
Send it, keep a copy, and note the date. Ask the billing office to put the account on hold while the application is reviewed; under federal rules they cannot send it to collections during that time.
- 5
If you are turned down, ask for the reason in writing and ask about hardship review. Then check whether your state's law requires more than the hospital's policy.
Links and numbers
- California: 1-800-390-3507
- Washington: 1-800-442-4014
- Mid-Atlantic: 1-844-412-0919, option 3
- Colorado: 1-866-899-6018
- Hawaii: 1-800-598-5928
- Northwest: 1-800-813-2000
Financial assistance reduces the bill by income. It does not check whether the bill was right in the first place. For $49, a mediloop specialist reviews the itemized bill and EOB, if available, flags charges to dispute, and prepares a plan for the balance, including what to say to the financial assistance office.
Get the plan for your billThe general guide: how hospital charity care works and how to apply.
People also ask
Does Kaiser Permanente have to offer financial assistance?
Yes. As a nonprofit hospital system it must have a written financial assistance policy under section 501(r) of the tax code, tell patients about it, and limit what it charges eligible patients to the amounts it generally bills insured patients. Kaiser Permanente's policy is the Medical Financial Assistance (MFA) Program.
What is the income limit for free care at Kaiser Permanente?
In most of its hospitals, a household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level qualifies for a 100% write-off under the policy. For a single person in the 48 contiguous states that is about $31,920 a year in 2026; for a family of four about $66,000. Some regions differ; see the table on this page.
Can I apply for Kaiser Permanente financial assistance if I have insurance?
Yes. The policy covers the amounts you owe after insurance (deductibles, copays and coinsurance), subject to the limits described on this page.
How long do I have to apply?
240 days from the first bill under the policy (Decision letter within 30 business days, with a 30-day appeal window). Federal rules also stop the hospital from taking extraordinary collection action for at least 120 days after the first bill, and require it to consider an application received within 240 days.
Where this came from
Read from Kaiser Permanente's own published policy documents on 2026-09-14. Nothing on this page comes from a third-party summary.
- Kaiser Permanente, Help paying your bill
- Kaiser Permanente, MFA policy and Northern California addendum
- Kaiser Permanente, MFA policy and Washington addendum
- Kaiser Permanente, MFA policy and Mid-Atlantic addendum
- Kaiser Permanente, MFA policy and Northwest addendum
What we could not confirm
- Tier percentages for Colorado, Georgia and Hawaii are not published in the summaries we read.
- Awards apply to Kaiser Permanente bills only and cannot be used elsewhere.
This page summarises a hospital policy. Eligibility is decided by the hospital against the full policy and your application; nothing here is a determination that you qualify, and the policy may have changed since we read it. mediloop is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.