MHC Long Beach CA Charge: Identify the Source and Dispute It

A charge labeled “MHC Long Beach CA” on your bank or credit card statement almost always traces back to one of three Long Beach organizations: Molina Healthcare of California, which is headquartered in the city and routinely abbreviated MHC; the Long Beach Mental Health Center, a Los Angeles County clinic that uses the MHC shorthand; or, less commonly, MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center. The quickest way to confirm which one billed you is to match the dollar amount and date against a recent explanation of benefits, copay receipt, or appointment confirmation.

Which “MHC” You’re Probably Looking At

Molina Healthcare of California. Molina is a managed care company that administers Medi-Cal, Medicare, and Marketplace plans statewide. Its corporate offices sit at 200 Oceangate, Suite 100, Long Beach, CA 90802, and the company uses “MHC” throughout its internal documents, provider communications, and email addresses.1Molina Healthcare. Molina Healthcare of California Marketplace Provider Manual2Molina Healthcare. All-State Molina Claims Information If you pay a Molina premium or recently covered a copay, this is the most likely source.

Long Beach Mental Health Center. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health runs a directly operated clinic called “Long Beach MHC–Adult” at 1975 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90806.3Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. DMH Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget Report4Westside Regional Center. Mental Health and Developmental Disability Resource Directory A charge from a county outpatient psychiatric or counseling visit would show up with this clinic’s name shortened.

MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center. MemorialCare’s Long Beach hospital campus provides emergency, surgical, and other services.5MemorialCare. Long Beach Medical Center MHC is not the hospital’s standard abbreviation, but medical billing descriptors are sometimes truncated in ways that don’t neatly match a facility’s full name. A recent ER visit, lab, or scheduled procedure there could show up this way.

How to Identify the Exact Source

Start with what’s already in your records. Pull up any recent explanation of benefits from your health insurer and look for a payment or patient responsibility that matches the amount and date on your statement. Receipts, appointment confirmations in your email, and billing portal entries usually clear things up fast.

If nothing matches, your bank or card issuer can give you the merchant’s full legal name and phone number — just call the number on the back of your card and ask. You can also contact each likely source directly:

Disputing the Charge With the Provider

If the amount is wrong, duplicated, or for a service you didn’t receive, go to the billing office first. Ask for an itemized statement so you can see exactly what was charged.

For MemorialCare, written disputes go to Patient Financial Services, P.O. Box 20894, Fountain Valley, CA 92728-0894, or by fax to (714) 377-3572. Include your name, account number, the specific charge in question, and why you believe it’s wrong.8MemorialCare. Patient Financial Tools and Resources For Molina, the provider dispute resolution unit accepts correspondence at P.O. Box 22722, Long Beach, CA 90801.9Molina Healthcare. Molina Healthcare of California Medi-Cal Provider Manual

Disputing Through Your Credit Card Issuer

If the provider won’t resolve it, or if the charge is unauthorized outright, the Fair Credit Billing Act gives you a path through your card issuer. Send a written dispute to the issuer’s billing inquiry address (not the payment address). It must reach them within 60 days of the statement date that first showed the charge. Include your name, account number, and a description of the error, and send it by certified mail so you have proof of delivery.10Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges

The issuer has to acknowledge your dispute in writing within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days. While they investigate, you can withhold payment on the disputed amount without being reported as delinquent, and the issuer can’t try to collect it. If the charge turns out to be unauthorized, your liability is capped at $50 under federal law.10Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges

If It’s a Surprise Medical Bill

A higher-than-expected charge sometimes traces back to an out-of-network clinician you didn’t choose. The federal No Surprises Act, in effect since January 1, 2022, limits out-of-network cost-sharing and prohibits balance billing for emergency services, air ambulance services, and non-emergency care provided by out-of-network clinicians at in-network facilities. Uninsured or self-pay patients are entitled to a good faith estimate before treatment; if the final bill exceeds that estimate by $400 or more, you can start a third-party arbitration process within 120 days.11Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Is a Surprise Medical Bill and the No Surprises Act

California’s AB 72, effective July 2017, adds state-level protection. For non-emergency services at an in-network facility delivered by an out-of-network provider, you owe only your in-network cost-sharing, and the out-of-network provider cannot bill you for the balance. If you get such a bill, file a complaint with your health insurer, and if that doesn’t resolve it, escalate to the California Department of Insurance at (800) 927-4357.12California Department of Insurance. No Surprise Bills

California’s SB 1061, phasing in through 2025, prohibits physicians and their billing partners from reporting medical debt to consumer credit reporting agencies and requires specific consumer protection language in any contract that creates medical debt. Contracts missing that language are void and unenforceable.13California Medical Association. New Consumer Protections for Medical Debt Contracts

Where to Get Help