You can visit a specialist if you need expert care for a specific type of problem. Specialists are surgeons, heart doctors, allergy doctors, skin doctors, and other doctors who work in one area of health care.
Most specialists will ask you for a referral from your primary care provider (PCP) before you make an appointment.
How to Make an Appointment
The steps below outline the steps you might need to get a specialist appointment.
Your PCP office might have different steps. Contact your PCP office for specific details on Specialty Referrals in your health care network.
- Talk to Your PCP
- Visit your PCP to talk about your health needs and ask to see a specialist.
- Your PCP will help you decide which specialist to see. The specialist you see may depend on your health needs, insurance, and when the specialist can see you.
- PCP Sends Referral
- Your PCP will send your referral to the specialist by letter or fax.
- Specialist Reviews Referral
- Before you can make an appointment, your referral must be reviewed by the specialist.
- The referral gives you approval to see the specialist.
- Schedule Your Appointment
- Once your referral is reviewed, you will get details on how to make your appointment.
- For specialist care that is not urgent, you should get an appointment within 15 business days.
- If you do not get appointment details for the specialist, talk to your PCP office for help.
- Contact Your PCP
- Your specialist and PCP should work together to give you the best care.
- Contact your PCP after seeing the specialist to talk about the next steps in your health care.
Contact your PCP about what specialists you may need to see. If you need help finding the phone number of your PCP, please call SFHP Customer Service at 1(415) 547-7800, TTY 1(888) 883-7347 weekdays from 8:30am – 5:30pm.
Not an SFHP member yet?
Learn about your health care options and see if you can get Medi-Cal at sfhp.org/qualify.
