Community Health Center
Center for Family Health & Education, Inc. dba Priority Care Medical Group - El Monte 2
3229 Santa Anita Ave, El Monte, CA 91733-1359 1.4 miles away
Community Health Center
Tzu Chi Health Center, South El Monte
10414 Vacco St, South El Monte, CA 91733-3350
Tzu Chi Health Center, South El Monte is a community health center dental clinic in South El Monte, CA, operated by Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, which runs 3 clinics in California.
The health center is open about 40 hours a week, though dental sessions are usually a subset of that.
Clinic Details
| Address | 10414 Vacco St, South El Monte, CA 91733 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 626-281-3383 |
| Operated by | Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation |
| Program | Health Center Program look-alike |
A look-alike meets every requirement of the federal Health Center Program — including the income-based sliding fee discount and seeing patients regardless of ability to pay — but does not receive the federal grant that funds the others. For you as a patient the discount works the same way; what differs is the funding behind it.
Planning Your Visit
10414 Vacco St, South El Monte, CA 91733
The published number is 626-281-3383. It may be a shared scheduling line. Say which site you mean and that you want dental rather than medical, or you can be booked into the wrong queue.
Things to settle on the phone first: the dental hours, and which days appointments run, whether new dental patients are being taken, and the current wait, what a first visit costs, before and after any discount, whether your insurance or Medicaid dental plan is accepted, by plan name, and what to bring for the sliding fee application.
Dental Services
This clinic has not published a list of the treatments it provides. Expect the routine treatments to be available. The question worth asking is about the expensive ones: root canals, dentures and oral surgery are handled in house at some health centers and referred out at others.
Costs and Coverage
Charges are set against household income and household size rather than a fixed fee schedule. Because Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation sets the thresholds itself, the same household can pay different amounts at two different health centers. Ask them to run your household through it before you commit to a treatment plan. Our guide to applying for the discount lists the documents to bring.
No Medicaid registration has been recorded for this clinic, which is not the same as Medicaid being refused. What California Medicaid covers for adults is a state decision and has been cut and restored in several states; for children the benefit is required nationally. The Medicaid dental page covers how to check yours.
Common Questions
What about cleanings and check-ups?
Preventive care is the cheapest thing a clinic like this does and the easiest to book, yet it is the first thing people drop when money is short. If you are already here for something else, ask to be put on the recall list while you are in the building.
Can I bring someone with me?
Generally yes, and it is worth doing if you are anxious or want a second pair of ears for the costs. Ask when booking whether they can come into the room, because some clinics keep the treatment area to patients and staff.
Is Medicaid accepted?
It has not been confirmed either way for this clinic, which is not the same as no. In most states the dental benefit runs through separate managed care plans, so call with the dental plan name printed on your card rather than asking about Medicaid in general.
What should I bring to the first appointment?
Photo identification, proof of address, and documentation of household income — recent pay stubs, a benefits award letter or a tax return. Take your insurance or Medicaid card if you have one, and a list of any medications you take.
Do they treat patients who are pregnant?
Yes, and dental care during pregnancy is not something to postpone: professional guidance is that examinations, cleanings, fillings and extractions can be done, and untreated infection carries its own risk. Tell them when you book. Our pregnancy guide covers what changes and what does not.
Can I be seen without insurance?
Yes. Being uninsured is the ordinary case at a clinic like this, not an exception, and it is much of the reason the sliding scale exists. Bring income documentation if you have it and ask what they accept if you do not.
Other Clinics Operated by Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation
Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation operates 2 other clinics in 2 other communities in California. Asking the scheduling line which site can see you soonest is usually faster than calling each in turn; the shortest wait is not always the closest clinic. The income assessment usually transfers between sites in the same organization, which saves repeating the paperwork. What is treated at one site is no guide to another, so confirm with the clinic you actually intend to visit.
Other Dental Clinics Nearby
Distances are straight-line, not driving. Waiting times differ sharply between neighbors, so call more than one.
- Center for Family Health & Education, Inc. dba Priority Care Medical Group - El Monte 2 — El Monte, about 1.4 miles away
- Southern California Medical Center El Monte 2 — El Monte, about 1.9 miles away
- Southern California Medical Center — El Monte, about 1.9 miles away
- Eisner Health at El Monte — El Monte, about 1.9 miles away
Confirmed Payment Options
Income-Based Fees
Call Tzu Chi Health Center, South El Monte
Confirm current dental services, appointment availability, costs and accepted insurance directly with the clinic.
Nearby Affordable Dental Clinics
Community Health Center
Southern California Medical Center El Monte 2
12100 Valley Blvd, Suite 112, El Monte, CA 91732-3100 1.9 miles away
Community Health Center
Southern California Medical Center
12100 Valley Blvd, Ste 109A, El Monte, CA 91732-3161 1.9 miles away
Community Health Center
Eisner Health at El Monte
3564 Santa Anita Ave, Suite A, El Monte, CA 91731-2458 1.9 miles away
Before you call
