Contact and Hours:


1580 Valencia Street Suite 703
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: 415-642-0707
Fax: 415-648-7988

Monday through Thursday:
7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Friday 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Closed Saturday and
Sunday


Office Policies

Phone Calls:
Our phone policies are intended to minimize interruptions during the office schedule but to answer necessary questions and care for urgent problems.  Urgent calls will be handled immediately.  Routine calls will be returned later that day or within 24 hours.  Our staff is thoroughly trained in handling your messages and we appreciate your cooperation with them.  When you receive instructions from our office, please follow them carefully and contact us if you have further questions.   Calls to the Physicians Medical Assistants should be made during their administrative time.  If you wish to speak directly to your physician, please tell our staff and the physician will return your call when the physician has available time.  In case of a life threatening emergency, please call 911.

 
Referrals/Authorizations:
You must authorize, in advance, for the release of any information concerning your health to a third party, such as an attorney or insurance company. Release of this confidential information will require your signing a special form. If you have been referred by another physician, the physician who referred you will promptly receive a letter outlining the results of our evaluation and treatment plan
 
Appointments:
Our phones are answered between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm with lunch taken from 12:00 pm to 1:00pm. Your appointment time will be an approximate time. If it your first time, please arrive 20 minutes early to fill out paperwork. Every effort is put forth to keep your waiting to a minimum. Emergencies do occur and operations may take longer than anticipated; hence delays are unpreventable. When this happens your patience is appreciated.

If you are unable to keep an appointment we appreciate your calling as far in advance as possible. Because of emergencies we may have to reschedule your appointment. We regret that this may be done without advance notice. To expedite your visit please click here to view, print and complete the practice forms before you visit our office. This way you may complete the forms in the comfort of your home.
 
Prescriptions/Refills:
Refills are issued during regular office hours only. For most medications, please contact your pharmacy for them to fax in a request within 48 hours before you actually need it so that your medication can be taken without interruption.

If you lose your pain medication for any reason, a telephone refill will not be given. You will need to file a formal police report to report the missing medication. You may be required to come in for a urine toxicology screen. Repeated offenses may mean discharge from the practice. A formal pain medication agreement will be reviewed with you if you need to be on strong pain medications.
 
Personal Forms:
Many of our patients request that we fill out forms for them. Such forms are often related to personal disability issues and/or missed work. Please understand that these issues do not directly involve our practice, and they are not part of your medical care. Our office must charge for the time and resources it takes to complete these forms. We will try to complete them in a timely fashion, but you will typically need to wait several days for forms to be completed.

Patients Without Insurance:
Our office will accept injured patients who do not have health insurance coverage. Self-pay patients can expect to be asked for a deposit of $400.00 before being seen, and they will responsible for any charges incurred above that amount, at the time of service. Our typical physician evaluation with x-rays will typically cost $300.00 or more. Patients without health insurance coverage will also be required to pay a deposit ahead of time for any planned surgery, usually consisting of at least 50% of the expected charges.

We are aware of certain community resources which may assist patients in getting their expenses covered, and we will be happy to provide you this information. Actual application for these assistance programs are the full responsibility of the patient.

Auto Accidents and Liability Cases:
Our office will occasionally accept patients who have been injured and expect their medical costs to be covered by car insurance or a third party liability settlement. Since we have no guarantee of payment from these sources, we expect payment of our billed charges to be made at the time of service, under the above guidelines for patients without insurance. Any insurance or liability settlement which may occur can then be paid to the patient. In some cases where we have confirmation from a reliable insurer or attorney, we will see liability patients without up-front payment.

Confidentiality:
All of your medical records, office notes, and correspondence are absolutely confidential. Information will be released to your spouse or family members with your written permission only. Family members are, of course, welcome to accompany you on your visits here if you wish. Reports concerning your health will not be released without your written authorization.

Foreign Languages:
Please be sure to bring an English-speaking person with you to an appointment if you speak only a foreign language. We do have some practitioners who speak reasonable Spanish. Even so, we still recommend bringing a bilingual person with you if possible.

Es necessary que alguien quien puede hablar ingles viene a nuestra oficina con usted para su cita

Fees:
Charges for medical services in our office are due and payable at the time of service. If you are a member of an insurance plan of which we are a member you will be responsible for your copays and deductible prior to your visit. Please remember that the responsibility for payment rests with the patient or guardian of the patient being treated. It is necessary that you have a copy of your insurance cards at the time of your visit. If you are a member of a HMO plan you must have a referral from your primary physician. If you do not have this information your appointment may have to be rescheduled to another day. If unusual circumstances should make it impossible for you to meet your obligation, we invite you to call or personally discuss the matter with our financial counselors. This will avoid misunderstandings and enable you to keep your account in good standing, except when hardship warrants. Otherwise, accounts past due are referred to a collection agency. Your account with us is then considered terminated and any other service will be rendered on a “cash basis” only.
 
Accepted Insurance Plans:
This is list of accepted insurance plans. Please check with your insurance provider for more current information.