To make an appointment, please call the Orthopedic Surgical Oncology Clinic (415) 885-3800. If your insurance plan requires, you may need a referral from your primary care doctor, or the doctor currently treating you, to make your first appointment.

After scheduling an appointment, complete the physician contact information form, to provide information about other doctors treating you, and bring the form with you to the clinic.

If you have any questions regarding the form, please contact the clinic.

Your First Appointment

We recommend that you bring a family member or friend to your first appointment. We make every effort to see you as close to your scheduled appointment time as possible but there may be delays beyond our control. Please plan on spending two to three hours at your first appointment.

The review of your medical records is an important part of your evaluation. Your medical records must be received at least one day before your appointment so we can prepare for your visit. You may fax, express mail or hand carry your records to our offices. Please don't use regular U.S. Postal Service mail since it may be difficult to estimate when your records will arrive.

Please provide the following with your medical records, which we need to receive at least one day before your appointment:

• Copies of all records relevant to your medical condition, including medical records from doctors who referred you. This also may include records from your primary care doctor gynecologist, oncologist or surgeon.
• Pathology reports of any biopsy or test you had done. If you are seeing a surgeon, please also bring actual glass pathology slides.
• Radiology reports and scans — including X-rays, magnetic resonance images (MRIs) or any other films that relate to your condition and written reports that accompany those films.
• Copies of all of your insurance cards.
• A list of your doctors, including their mailing addresses, and phone and fax numbers.

Contact your insurance company before your appointment to obtain approval, called "prior authorization," for your appointment. Iif you don't obtain the necessary authorization, you will be responsible for all charges associated with your care. Please read the following "Insurance Information."

Insurance Information

Before your appointment, please review your insurance benefits. Call your insurance company or your employer's benefits representative. Each insurance plan has rules that must be followed to receive full benefits. If your insurance plan requires prior authorization for office visits to a specialist, please fax referrals and authorizations to the clinic before your appointment. If we don't receive these documents, you will be responsible for all fees associated with your appointment.

Dealing with insurance is sometimes confusing. We are happy to provide you with assistance. Please contact our Cancer Resource Center at (415) 885-3693 or at CancerResourceCenter@ucsfmedctr.org. Our Physician Referral Service also is available for assistance at (888) 689-UCSF or at referral.center@ucsfmedctr.org.