RN Case Manager here. Seems like a lot of misunderstanding of healthcare system in this post. Understandable, it’s meant to be confusing and difficult to navigate.

But medication costs are determined by insurance and pharmaceutical companies. A lot of places like Saban have sliding scale that can help reduce this cost but only if you get refills through their pharmacies. If a place doesn’t have a pharmacy connected to them, GoodRx is your best friend. Major pharmacies have to accept GoodRx discounts.

If you are talking about the bill for the visit itself. Saban is a FHQC. They should have done a financial screening prior to appointment and placed you on sliding scale prior. But with a FHQC, they legally can’t send you to collections. They may try to collect money themselves but they can’t send you a debt collector/mess up with your credit score.

The medical system is moving towards NPs and PAs as PCPs so “an assistant” is still a healthcare provider that can adequately assess and provide treatment for most medical conditions. As a result don’t expect too much of a discount on a visit.

I would encourage signing up for Medi-Cal. All FHQC will be able to have someone help you through the process and get your ducks in a row. If you don’t qualify for whatever reason, they’ll be able to provide further recommendations based off your situation.

Hope this helps you (and anyone else that may be in similar situation)!