Breast Cancer

Appointments

To make an appointment, please call the clinic where you would like to be seen. If your insurance plan requires, you may need a referral from the doctor currently treating you to make your first appointment at the UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center.

Your First Appointment
Financial Counseling
Health Insurance
Medical Records
Social Work Services
Special Clinics and Programs

Your First Appointment

We make every effort to keep to your appointment schedule, but there may be delays beyond our control. Please plan to spend at least two hours for your first appointment. We recommend that you bring a family member or friend to help take notes, carry your medical records and for moral support.

Before your appointment, please review your insurance benefits or contact your health insurance company. Each insurance plan has rules that must be followed to receive full benefits.

If your appointment is for a surgery consultation, please bring all surgical and procedure reports, including biopsy reports. You may be examined by a nurse practitioner or doctor who will present your case to the surgeon. The recommendations will be reviewed with you and a plan will be developed for your care.

Financial Counseling

If you would like to speak to a financial counselor regarding your medical charges, please call (415) 885-7803.

Health Insurance

If you are a member of a health maintenance organization (HMO) or preferred provider organization (PPO), please provide a referral or "authorization" for a new patient consult from your insurance company for your first appointment. (See our glossary of insurance terms.) If a referral or authorization is not obtained prior to your visit, you will be charged for the services you receive.

If you don't have insurance or choose not to use your insurance, a $345 deposit will be requested when you check-in for your first appointment. This covers your first exam. You may receive a bill for the balance of charges, based on other services provided during your visit. UCSF provides a 30 percent discount to all self-pay patients. The deposit for future appointments is $160 for each visit.

Deductibles — If your insurance plan has a deductible, UCSF will bill your insurance plan first. If you have not met your deductible, you'll receive a bill based on rates defined by your insurance company's contract with UCSF.

Fine Needle Aspiration — If you're being evaluated for a breast lump, you may have a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. The biopsy processing and evalution may cost from $1,500 to $5,000. If your insurance plan requires authorization, please request authorization for an FNA, which is billed using a medical code — current procedural terminology (CPT) code 10021.

Health Plan Savings Account — If you have a health plan savings account with a card, please contact your insurance company to activate your card and notify the company that you'll receive care at UCSF. The process typically takes 10 to 14 days.

Mammograms — If your mammograms were performed outside of UCSF, your doctor may ask that your films are re-evaluated at UCSF. Charges for these reviews range from $400 to $2,500. For an estimated cost, please call Radiology at (415) 353-1236. You may be asked to make a deposit in advance.

Same-day Procedures — If during your appointment, your doctor recommends that a procedure, such as a biopsy, is performed that day, there will be an additional charge. If you aren't covered by insurance, please discuss pricing in advance. If you have insurance coverage, please ensure that the staff obtains insurance authorization prior to the procedure.

We understand that dealing with insurance can be difficult and confusing. If you'd like to speak to Patient Financial Counseling, please call (415) 885-7803.

Medical Records

The review of your medical records is an important part of your evaluation. Please bring your medical records, including radiology films or discs.

Please bring:

• Copies of all records relevant to your condition, including medical records from physicians who referred you as well as from your primary care physician, gynecologist, oncologist or surgeon.
• Pathology reports of any biopsy or test you've had. If you're seeing a surgeon, please bring glass pathology slides.
• Radiology reports and scans from the past five years — including X-rays, original mammograms, breast ultrasound reports, MRI scans and other related films — and written reports that accompany them.
• A copy of your insurance cards. (Please copy front and back of the cards.)

Social Work Services

Social workers are available to meet with you and your family to discuss financial issues, such as short- or long-term disability income, insurance coverage and special programs that assist people with cancer; support groups and referrals to a psychologist or chaplain; family issues such as care giving and talking to children about cancer; and lodging and transportation.

To contact a social worker, call the Cancer Resource Center at (415) 885-3693 and ask for the social worker assigned to your doctor.

Special Clinics and Programs

Breast Cancer High-Risk and Prevention Program — If you have an appointment at the High-Risk and Prevention Clinic, you will seen by a nurse practitioner who works with a team of health care professionals including doctors, genetic counselors and researchers. The team will evaluate your personal and family history and design a customized medical plan. Genetic counseling services require a separate insurance authorization and some insurance plans don't cover the service. Please check with your insurance plan.

Breast Cancer Same-Day Assessment Program — This program evaluates and diagnoses women and men with abnormal mammograms in one day. You will meet with a diagnostic team including surgeons who specialize in breast conditions, a pathologist, a radiologist and nurse practitioners. You may undergo an additional mammogram before your appointment and a biopsy later that day. Please plan to be at the Breast Care Center the entire day.

See more information about the UCSF Carol Franc Buck Breast Cancer Center.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated March 17, 2008