How to sign up for care

The San Francisco Health Network is San Francisco’s only complete care system. Our network includes primary care for all ages, dentistry, emergency & trauma treatment, medical & surgical specialties, diagnostic testing, skilled nursing & rehabilitation, and behavioral health.

To receive care in our Network, you must be enrolled in one of our accepted insurance or financial programs. To learn more, please call (628) 206-7800 to schedule a telephone appointment with a Certified Enrollment Worker. Our business hours are M-F, 8am-12pm and 1-5pm.

Closed during San Francisco City holidays.

What to have ready for your telephone enrollment appointment?

Please have the following documents with you.

1. Picture Identification – Driver’s License, Consular ID, Permanent Resident, Passport
2. Proof of San Francisco Residency – Most Recent: Rental Agreement, Utility Bill, Tax Bill, Bank Statement
3. Household Income – Most Recent: Pay stubs, Tax return, Award Letters: Unemployment, Disability, Social Security, Retirement
4. Money Assets – Most Recent: Bank statements (checking/savings), Bankbooks, Financial statements for Brokerage/Retirement Accounts

 We will help you enroll in the following insurance and payment programs:

• Medi-Cal also known as Medicaid
• Medi-Cal – Medicaid Coverage Expansion for Adults (MCE)
• Hospital Presumptive Eligibility – Medi-Cal
• Healthy San Francisco – Our Health Access Program
• Covered CA – Affordable care Act Programs also known as Obamacare
• Family Pact – Family Planning Program
• Child Health Disability Prevention Program (CHDP)
• Every Woman Counts – Cancer Detection Program (CDP)
• Breast Cervical Cancer treatment Program (BCCTP)
• AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
• Charity Care and Discount Program

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the San Francisco Health Network (SFHN)?

The SFHN is the City and County of San Francisco’s public healthcare system.  We are the only system that provides a complete set of health care services, from primary care, specialty care, and behavioral health to hospital, trauma and long term care. Our system includes:

• 10 community based and 4 hospital based primary care clinics
• A network of behavioral health programs
• Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, which includes emergency, hospital, comprehensive specialty and radiology services, all staffed by UCSF faculty physicians
• Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center is the only level 1 trauma center for San Francisco and northern San Mateo County.
• Laguna Honda Hospital, which provides acute rehabilitation services, skilled nursing services, and inpatient hospice services.
• Health at Home
• Maternal Child and Adolescent Health
• Jail Health that provide 24/7 comprehensive and integrated system of medical, psychiatric and substance use health services.

Who can get care in the San Francisco Health Network?

• Trauma: anyone who is involved in serious trauma in San Francisco County or northern San Mateo County is brought to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center for treatment.
• Primary care: anyone who has Medicare, Medicaid, Healthy Workers, Healthy Kids or Healthy San Francisco can receive primary care in one of our 14 primary care clinics throughout the City. For Medicaid patients, you must let your health insurance company (San Francisco Health Plan or Anthem Blue Cross) know which clinic you are choosing before you can make an appointment.
• Specialty care and diagnostics: anyone who has a primary care provider at one of our San Francisco Health Network clinics can receive specialty care, radiology, or diagnostic studies provided by UCSF faculty at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. If you receive your primary care outside of our network, please ask your primary care provider whether you can be referred for services, as it will depend on your insurance.
• Behavioral Health Services: residents of San Francisco who receive Medi-Cal benefits, San Francisco Health Plan members, and to other San Francisco residents with limited resources.
• Maternal Child Health: provides information and referral for health services for San Francisco children, women and teens

What is the difference between the San Francisco Health Network and the San Francisco Health Plan?

San Francisco Health Plan is an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) insurance company that serves Medicaid, Healthy Works, Healthy Kids, and Healthy San Francisco patients. As an insurance company, it contracts with several private and public providers throughout San Francisco to provide medical care.

If you sign up for care with the San Francisco Health Plan, you may choose the San Francisco Health Network as your provider. 

Our Network also contracts with the Health Plan to manage the City programs including Healthy San Francisco and Healthy Kids programs as well as the In Home Support Service program, Healthy Workers, for the program workers and our as-needed city workers.

I have Medicaid. Can I get care in the San Francisco Health Network?

In San Francisco, you can get Medicaid through two insurance companies: San Francisco Health Plan or Anthem Blue Cross.  To receive primary care services in the SFHN, you must contact your health insurance company to choose one of our primary care clinics before you can make an appointment.

To receive specialty care or diagnostic services in our Network, you must have a primary care provider at one of our primary care clinics or one of the San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium clinics.  If you have a primary care provider at North East Medical Services, you may choose our Network (SFHN) for your specialty or hospital care you may need.

I bought my health insurance through Covered California.  Can I get care in the San Francisco Health Network?

Unfortunately, at this time our Network does not accept any of the health insurance plans offered through Covered California. However, this will likely change in the near future.

I used to get my specialty care at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, but now they are saying I can’t.  Why is that?

Something in your insurance has probably changed.  If you want to continue receiving specialty care at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, you should call your insurance company and ask them to make sure that the medical group you are assigned allows you to continue care at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

Some possible scenarios for why this has happened:

• You were enrolled in the Healthy San Francisco Program, but are now eligible for Medicaid, and were assigned to a new medical group that does not allow its patients to be seen by our Network. This includes Brown and Toland Physicians, Hill Physicians, Kaiser, UCSF Medical Group, and NEMS-CPMC.
• You were enrolled in the Healthy San Francisco Program, but purchased health insurance through Covered California, the state health insurance exchange. Unfortunately at this time our Network does not accept any insurance plans offered through Covered California.