Patient Resources
Priced Out of Healthcare? A Practical Playbook
No lectures, no maybes: the concrete moves for San Bernardino County families when care feels unaffordable, in the order to make them.
Written by the Health Service Alliance care team. Updated July 2026.
Move one: stop pricing care at private rates
The prices that scared you were probably private-practice or emergency-room prices. Community health centers run on a different model: nonprofit, income-based, built for this exact situation. Recalculate using our sliding-fee discount before deciding care is out of reach.
Move two: claim the coverage you may already qualify for
Many county families qualify for Medi-Cal without knowing it, especially for their children. Checking is free, applying is free, and our team does it with you. If Medi-Cal is not a fit, Covered California subsidies often are.
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Move three: sequence the care
- Handle the thing that worries you most first: worry itself is a health cost
- Get current on checkups and screenings: cheap now, priceless later
- Ask about generic prescriptions and lower-cost alternatives openly: our providers price-aware prescribe
- Use the emergency room for emergencies, not for everything: same care, wildly different cost
The door is open either way
Insured, uninsured, denied, lapsed, complicated: every version of this situation walks through our doors daily, at six centers across the county and beyond. Nobody is turned away for inability to pay, and nobody is made to feel small for asking.
We accept Medi-Cal, Medicare, and most plans
No insurance, or not sure what you have? You are still welcome, and our team helps you apply for Medi-Cal.
Sliding-fee scale available based on household income.
- Medi-Cal and Medicare welcomeAlong with IEHP and most major plans.
- Free coverage checkWe call you back with a clear answer.
- Sliding-fee scaleCosts adjusted to your income when you are uninsured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions we hear most. Anything else? Call us, day or night.
Is any of this actually free?
Applying for Medi-Cal is free, our help with it is free, checking coverage is free, and if approved, Medi-Cal care itself costs little to nothing. The sliding fee makes everything else scale to your income.
I owe medical bills already. Can I still be seen?
Yes. Old bills elsewhere do not close our doors, and our front desk can talk through manageable ways forward.
What should I book first?
Whatever your body has been asking about longest. If nothing is urgent, a checkup: it is the cheapest way to find out where you actually stand.
Your family deserves good care, close to home.
Request an appointment or check your coverage. Medi-Cal and most plans accepted, and nobody is turned away for inability to pay.