If you have health insurance, our billing office will bill your insurance carrier first. If your insurance plan doesn't cover a service or procedure or doesn't cover the entire cost, you'll be responsible for fees that are not covered.
If you have insurance coverage and want to update your insurance information for billing, please call Patient Financial Services immediately. Most insurance companies have timely filing requirements.
The No Surprises Billing Act: patient rights and protections
As of January 1, 2022, when patients get emergency care or are treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, the No Surprises Billing Act protects them against surprise billing or balance billing. Find out more about your rights under this act and protections against surprise medical bills.
Notice: Open Payments database
The Open Payments database is a federal tool used to search payments made by drug and device companies to physicians and teaching hospitals. For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments website is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth more than 10 dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.
Statements and payments
MyChart paperless statements
UCSF and our affiliate practices are now sending paperless statements.
If you have a MyChart account, you don't have to do a thing: You're already receiving paperless statements. If you have a MyChart account, and would like to continue receiving a paper statement, log in to MyChart and choose "cancel paperless billing" on the Billing Summary page. Note: Transplant and Reproductive Health guarantors are not eligible for UCSF MyChart and will continue to receive paper statements in the mail.
Before billing you, UCSF Health will submit a claim to your health insurance provider, including Medicare and Medi-Cal if applicable, and any secondary insurance. If you owe a balance that was not covered by your insurance, or if you are a self-pay patient, you will receive a statement by mail.
UCSF Health provides patients with a consolidated statement (per guarantor) that includes fees for both hospital and professional services. Hospital services include costs for room and board, ancillary services such as diagnostic tests (for example, X-rays, EKGs and laboratory tests) and medications. Professional services include care from the physicians who treated you during an outpatient visit or hospital stay, as well as physicians who read and interpreted your test results (such as a radiologist).
If you have any questions about your statement, please call Patient Financial Services at (866) 433-4035. A sample statement is available here to help you understand your bill.
Payment options
Payment is due within 30 days of billing. We accept personal checks and major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover).
You may use any of these options to pay your balance:
Mail: Complete and return the payment coupon attached to your statement
Phone: Call (866) 433-4035 (automated payment system is available 24/7)
Types of coverage
Medicare
If you're covered by Medicare, we will submit your claims to Medicare on your behalf. After Medicare makes its payment, we'll bill your supplemental or secondary insurance carrier for the balance, as determined by Medicare. If you don't have supplemental or secondary insurance, you will be responsible for the remaining balance. For more information, please refer to the EOMB (Explanation of Medicare Benefits) or the EOB (Explanation of Benefits) from your supplemental or secondary insurance.
Medi-Cal
Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program, a medical assistance program for low-income residents funded by the state and federal governments. If you're covered under this program, please provide an eligibility card or other proof of eligibility for your month of service. Medi-Cal eligibility is determined on a month-to-month basis.
Self-pay patients
If you don't have health insurance or are seeking care that is not covered by your insurance plan, you're considered a self-pay patient. All self-pay patients at UCSF are eligible for a discount. For more information about our discount policy, please call our Financial Counseling office at (415) 353-1966.
To request an estimate of the out-of-pocket cost for an upcoming service, call Financial Counseling's Patient Estimate Program at (844) 678-6831. Financial counselors are available to discuss your options and offer guidance in the financial planning of your medical care or services.
What you'll pay
Estimating your out-of-pocket costs
At UCSF Health, we're committed to helping patients and their families make informed decisions about every aspect of their care, including out-of-pocket costs. Those costs will be affected by insurance plan coverage, by co-pays and deductibles (if any), and by the wide range of services provided and other variables that affect costs. Use this tool to help calculate out-of-pocket costs for our most common services.
Need assistance?
Financial counselors are available to discuss your options and offer guidance in the financial planning of your medical care or services. Contact a Financial Counselor at the Patient Estimate Program at (844) 678-6831 or [email protected].
Elective procedures require a deposit before service, unless the patient is eligible for financial assistance. If you need to make a deposit or arrange a payment before an elective procedure, please call Financial Counseling at (415) 353-1966. To make payment arrangements or apply for financial assistance for an outstanding statement balance, call Patient Financial Services at (866) 433-4035.
Recommended Reading
Health Insurance
See a list of insurance plans and programs accepted at UCSF Health and how to determine what kind of access to UCSF care your plan allows.
Help Paying Your Bill
Financial assistance is available to eligible patients for emergency and medically necessary care. Read the requirements and find out how to apply.
Health Insurance Benefits: Private & Public Plans
Find detailed info about private plans, group plans, public health care plans, plans for people with pre-existing conditions, and public health coverage.
Health Insurance Terms & Definitions
See patient-friendly definitions for words that refer to health insurance, from “co-payment” and “deductible” to “HMO,” “high-deductible,” “Medi-Cal” and more.
Patient Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
If you see health care providers outside your plan network, find out how the federal No Surprises Act protects you against balance billing and surprise billing.