Primary Care through UCSF Health

UCSF Health has a team of new patient navigators. To begin the process, please complete the intake web form. 

A UCSF Health primary care new patient navigator will contact the student to talk about the various options for clinic locations and different providers available at each clinic. 

Once the student has selected a primary care physician (PCP), the navigator will help schedule the student’s first new patient appointment. If the student identifies a need for services sooner than when the first new patient appointment occurs, the navigator can help connect the student with the team at the UCSF Health Screening and Acute Care Clinic. 

Students should complete the intake web form to initiate contact from our New Patient Navigators. 

A New Patient Navigator will contact you by phone to complete the registration and scheduling process within 7-10 business days. If you don't receive a call within this timeframe, you can schedule a 15 minute appointment to coordinate care with the UCSF Health New Patient Navigator. 

In general at each of the UCSF Health clinics, wait times vary from two weeks to two months, depending on the physician. 

If you don't receive a call within 7-10 business days after competing the intake web form, you can schedule a 15 minute appointment to coordinate care with the UCSF Health New Patient Navigator. 

Yes, check back in to establish an appointment with a navigator. Calling the UCSF Health new patient number will result in a longer wait time. 

Start the patient registration process right away to have access to UCSF Health providers. Complete the intake web form. 

Don’t wait to register as a UCSF Health patient, your first UCSF Health appointment date is based on the primary care location requested and availability. Appointments are finite so the earlier you start the process, the more options you are likely to have. 

Subsequent appointments will be scheduled online via the UCSF Health patient portal or you can contact your home clinic and schedule by phone.  

Students who wish to seek primary care from UCSF Health can indicate their location and provider preferences using this survey tool:  Primary Care Services Request. Information you provide through this tool will only be accessed by UCSF Health.

With access to the entire network of UCSF primary care physicians across all UCSF Health clinics, students have far more options in terms of providers and appointment times. Understanding that students have rigorous curriculums, clinical rotations, and lab demands, UCSF Health will streamline scheduling for new patients through a dedicated team of Patient Navigators. 

UCSF Health clinics hold a certain number of appointments for same-day and next-day care for patients with acute issues. The number of same-day appointments fluctuates over the course of the year.

For evening, weekend, and holiday urgent care appointments, contact Screening and Acute Care Clinic via telephone at (415) 353-2602, or schedule online at Screening & Acute Care Clinic | UCSF Health.

UCSF Health is making investments to expand primary care and increase access. A new primary care practice is scheduled to open on the Mission Bay Campus in August 2024. In addition, UCSF Health has recently hired new physicians at our Laurel Village, Lakeshore, China Basin, San Mateo and Mt. Zion campuses, and many are accepting new patients. 

Please do not wait to register for UCSF Health. Registering early is the best way to get access to primary care services.

Students can expect their new patient appointment within two weeks to two months of initiating the process. Students will be scheduled as a priority patient population similar to UCSF employees, residents and fellows. 

UCSF Health has capacity for 600-900 new patient appointments monthly in 11 clinic locations. New patient appointments are typically longer than regular visits and are therefore harder to schedule. 

Students can indicate their location and provider preferences using the Primary Care Services Request. Only UCSF Health will have access to the data you provide through this form.

To maintain continuity of care between provider and patient, UCSF Health discourages patients from switching providers frequently, but can accommodate such requests.  

Yes. Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment to establish care with UCSF Health now. When you are established at UCSF Health, you can contact the office directly when you need care. 

With UC SHIP, students can access care through Anthem Blue Cross Network urgent care centers. Refer to your plan details for more information.

If you need urgent care, you may go UCSF Screening and Acute Care Clinic or an urgent care center within your health insurance network. Consult your plan details for more information.

In a medical emergency, seek care from the nearest emergency department.

Students are encouraged to establish a primary care provider so that you do not need to use urgent care for non-urgent conditions. The change as of June 1 is that students with UC SHIP will now access primary care through UCSF Health. In order to do so, students need to initiate the registration process.

Any in network urgent care facility comes with the associated $25 copay. We recommend establishing a primary care physician before you need help so they can help direct you when you need it. 

Also, the SMHW website shows urgent care clinics that are within network when you are not near campus. 

• For urgent care, a UC SHIP enrolled member can access care via LiveHealthOnline or find an Anthem network urgent care center in Fresno using the https://www.anthem.com/find-care/.  Copayments may apply. Check your coverage plan for more details.
• Students who waived UC SHIP and have an urgent issue may also use LiveHealthOnline or contact their insurance plan to find an in-network urgent care center. Copayments may apply. Check your coverage plan for more details.

You can find a list of clinics and some affiliates on the UCSF Health website, including primary care clinics at Mount Zion, Laurel Village, and China Basin.

Acute care is offered at UCSF Screening & Acute Care Clinic at Parnassus and urgent care when it opens later this summer at Bayfront at Mission Bay. 

Depending on the clinical issue or illness being treated, UCSF Health can offer video visits which can be conducted anywhere on campus that has a private room and an internet connection.  

All UCSF Health clinics provide care related to women’s health issues.

The UCSF Health Women’s Health Primary Care practice on the Mount Zion campus is a clinic focused on women’s health.    

Visit our site at https://transcare.ucsf.edu.  

Please note: UC SHIP enrolled students may select a Primary Care provider within the Gender Affirming Health Program as their clinician.

Yes, you may continue to receive care from your Primary Care provider at the Gender Affirming Health Program. 

Yes, you may continue to receive care from your Primary Care provider at the Gender Affirming Health Program. 

Mental health services, including psychiartry, are available at Student Mental Health and Wellbeing.

UCSF PCPs can order labs to be drawn at Quest or LabCorp as an alternative to UCSF upon request. Deductible and coinsurance will apply. 

Sometimes insurance companies require additional information or documentation from a physician. Usually, common lab tests from primary care physicians are generally straightforward.  

Students can request TB screenings and immunization authorizations through their primary care provider. UCSF Health primary care clinics offer nurse visits for routine vaccinations like influenza.

Some clinics have nurse-scheduled visits where you can receive screenings for sexually-transmitted infections. UCSF Health cannot always guarantee walk-ins but they recommend sending a message through the patient portal in the event that you need a screening quickly without a PCP visit.  

You have control over what primary care physician you see. You can inform your educational program that you have a conflict of interest with a faculty member and cannot be assigned to educational experiences with them.  

There are very strict guardrails in UCSF Health’s APeX medical record system that add an extra layer of confidentiality. There will be a student/trainee designation on APEX that alerts all that the record must be treated in a special manner. When accessing student and employee records, staff and physicians must provide an extra step of validation (the “Break The Glass” functionality) to demonstrate that they have a legitimate reason to access records.   

You will determine what records are transferred from SMHW to your new primary care provider and will be required to consent to that transfer before it occurs. This is part of the registration process to establish care at UCSF Health.

In the UCSF Health confidentiality process, we only ask for those records that we need. Just like you might transfer from another physician, your new physician will ask for specific dates and only the necessary health issues that need to be transferred. 

Referrals authorized through SHCS are good for 365 days from the day it was authorized. If you need a new or updated referral for mental health, you can contact Student Mental Health and Wellbeing for a new authorization. 

Yes, Student Mental Health and Wellbeing has psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and case managers to serve as your mental health home. 

UC SHIP systemwide voted to end the Lyra pilot, and we are taking steps to help students find another therapist or psychologist if needed. If the Lyra provider is in network, you may be able to continue with that provider. Students can contact SMHW if they need transition assistance. 

Health insurance premiums for UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) are set by the UC SHIP Executive Oversight Board. Each participating UC campus has staff and student representation on the committee. Insurance premiums are set based on the prior two years of claims, medical and pharmacy trends, and the chargemaster of services billed to the plan.

Insurance premiums for UC SHIP are rising systemwide for the 2024-25 academic year due to the increased use of higher-cost services and medication. These premium increases are unrelated to UCSF’s decision to make UCSF Health the designated primary care provider for UCSF students with UC SHIP. Visit the UC SHIP website to learn more.

In order to contain the cost of student insurance for the coming year, UCSF has negotiated a capitation agreement with UC SHIP. As a result, the total cost of student insurance for the 2024-25 academic year will be no more than the cost resulting from the systemwide premium increases.  

Yes.  As of June 1, UCSF Health will be the designated primary care provider for all UCSF students with UC SHIP.

Students must register to establish primary care.

Copayment amounts depend on the insurance plan and benefits included in your plan. Complete plan details for UC SHIP for the 2024-25 academic year will be available in August 2024. We will post this information on the Insurance section of the Forms and Brochures page.  

In the meantime, you can reach out to any SMHW practice coordinator if you have questions. 

UC SHIP has a UC-wide increase where emergency room care copays will be $150. The best and most cost-effective route is to communicate with your primary care doctor in a non-emergency situation.  

Specialty care copay is $15 per visit. Currently, there is no copay to see a mental health counselor or a psychiatrist. Copays outside of UCSF Health are $25 for urgent care. 

From the UC SHIP renewal, the out-of-pocket maximum has been increased to $4,500. The out-of-pocket maximum for out of network is $9,000.  

UC SHIP changes for specialty medications is a copay of 10% up to $250 per prescription. 

We established our agreement with UCSF Health so there will be no copay to see a primary care physician at UCSF Health for this plan year. 

The cost of having UC SHIP will not change as a result of the move of primary care to UCSF Health for UC SHIP students in the 2024-25 academic year. However, UC SHIP premiums are increasing systemwide for the coming academic year as a result of increased use of higher-cost services and medication. Premiums are set by UC SHIP every year. Visit the UC SHIP website to learn more.

Recognizing the need to limit rising cost of premiums, UCSF negotiated a capitation agreement with UC SHIP for the 2024-2025 academic year. As a result,  the total cost of UC SHIP for students will be no more than the cost resulting from the systemwide premium increases.

Out-of-pocket costs like copayments and coinsurance vary annually depending on the plan. Plan details for UC SHIP will be available in August and will be posted on the Insurance section of the Forms and Brochures page.

All students are required to have health insurance. UCSF students are enrolled in UC SHIP unless they waive it. If you waived UC SHIP, you had to demonstrate that you had an alternative health insurance plan.

UCSF Health has contracts with many health insurance companies – ranging from preferred provider organizations (PPOs) to health maintenance organizations (HMOs) – to provide specialized inpatient and outpatient care.

To find out whether the plan you waived UC SHIP with allows unrestricted, restricted, or no access to care at UCSF Health, please ask your health insurance company or your employer's benefit manager.

If you do not have UC SHIP or your own private insurance, UCSF Health will work with Student Mental Health and Wellbeing to help you sign up for UC SHIP. This program meets the required conditions of your status as a student.   

As a non-academic enrollment condition, all students must have insurance while participating in their program. The insurance enrollment and waiver application process will continue to be supported by the UC SHIP insurance office at UCSF.  That process will not change. 

Student Mental Health and Wellbeing (formerly Student Health and Counseling Services) staff members will continue to provide support for questions related to insurance benefits, complex billing issues, and insurance enrollments.    

The student fees also support mental health services, which will remain. We are continuing to see how the fees will be affected.

Students who previously received a UC SHIP waiver may re-enroll in UC SHIP at the beginning of any new term.

Learn more about how to cancel your approved waiver on the Insurance Waiver page.  

No. UCSF Health will serve as the designated primary care provider for UC SHIP enrolled students. 

If you have been seen at UCSF Health primary care within the last three years, you are still considered an established patient and can contact your PCP directly to schedule a follow-up appointment.  

The counseling and psychiatry services at the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing will continue to offer care without a copay to students.  

Anthem and UCSF reached a preliminary agreement in February 2024 that will allow patients to continue to make appointments and receive care from UCSF Health. Read more on UCSF Health’s Anthem page. 

The process to enroll depends on your insurance plan. With UCSF SHIP, there is a form on SMHW website.  

No. UCSF Health cannot provide care for free and will need to bill insurance companies. As a result, students will be responsible for copays determined by your insurance provider. (All students are required to have health insurance per UC policy.)

The Medi-Cal program requires insured members to be enrolled in a Medi-Cal managed plan as well as receive health care services in the county in which they reside. The exception is for emergencies. UCSF Health Primary Care accepts the Medi-Cal programs San Francisco Health Plan and Anthem Blue Cross Medi-Cal plans that are San Francisco-based. Other Medi-Cal plans must first authorize a referral for a patient to get care from UCSF covered by insurance (in San Francisco or from another county). 

Students in San Francisco who opt into a Medi-Cal plan through Kaiser access their primary care services through one of the Kaiser locations.

Students unsure of whether UCSF Health accepts their insurance can call the number on the back of their insurance ID card to confirm if UCSF Health is within network for their plan.

For more information, visit these pages on ucsfhealth.org:  Insurance and Billing and Health Insurance Plans/Companies. 

Yes. A student can see any provider who is an in-network provider for their insurance company, whether the student is on UC SHIP or another insurance plan.     

There’s no change to coverage, preventative care is still covered. 

Medical costs, regardless of where the care is provided, do require proof of applying for charity care to qualify for CMCAF. The Campus Medical Care Assistance Fund (CMCAF) Memorandum of Understanding does provide that funds can be used to cover medical or pharmacy out-of-pocket expenses that exceed $500 and up to the in-network individual, out-of-pocket maximum.  

To apply for CMCAF with a Walgreens copay or other retail pharmacy, a student would first apply for assistance through the pharmacy's financial assistance program (see links below for CVS and Walgreens). Once the application is submitted, if/when the out-of-pocket expense still meets the CMCAF criteria, the student can apply for CMCAF using a letter or email from the pharmacy assistance program demonstrating additional financial need. Additionally, SMHW has reached out to the Account Manager at OptumRx to understand how their specialty medication financial assistance program works through their dispensing channels and how a student could navigate that program to their benefit. 

CVS - Financial Assistance Program 

Walgreens - Financial Assistance Program 

Your primary care physician can provide multiple referrals with one primary care appointment.  The cost for each appointment will depend on the services that are associated with that appointment.   

UC SHIP can authorize referrals for students throughout the country. 

Please note: For insurance coverage, a referral for an out-of-state provider is required from UCSF Health for UC SHIP students.

The majority of specialty departments at UCSF require referrals to ensure patients are scheduled with the right provider based on their clinical history.  

UCSF Department of Gynecology does require a referral for all appointments so that they can offer an appointment with the appropriate clinician based on the reason for the visit and clinical history.  

UCSF Health offers same-day or same-week appointments for acute issues for established patients. UCSF Health does not offer same-day appointments for new patient appointments. 

Students may schedule an appointment in the Screening and Acute Care Clinic on an urgent basis (same day) or up to 48 hours in advance if they need to see a provider at an earlier time than they are able to establish a PCP. Our providers are able to refer students to a specialty care clinic if necessary. 

In early 2023, Student Health & Counseling Services was forced to close temporarily after the departure of its Interim Medical Director. Primary care services were restored after another Interim Medical Director was identified and a temporary plan to rotate UCSF Health physicians was implemented. To better understand the full context and history of challenges the SHCS program has had at UCSF, we launched a discovery process. That process led to the ultimate decision to partner with UCSF Health as a sustainable way to ensure UCSF students have reliable access to high-quality primary care.

We began notifying students of this change in February so that you could have ample time to make the necessary adjustments for your primary care.

The June 1 timing for the move to UCSF Health aligns with the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year for the first cohort of students – those in the physical therapy program, which starts in June.

While our practice is to engage students in decisions that affect them directly, in this situation, we have no option but to close the primary care practice at SHCS as we were unable to hire the necessary staff despite a sustained, multi-year effort. At UCSF Health, students will have access to high-quality, reliable care.

Ensuring this change results in a better experience for students is important to us. We will work closely with colleagues at UCSF Health to look at access, time to appointment, and other measurements of quality of care.