San Francisco General Hospitals
Which Services are Offered?
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG) provides inpatient, outpatient, emergency, diagnostic, and psychiatric services for adults and children.
What are the Entry Points?
Campus map, showing department locations:
Emergency Care
For emergency services, dial 9-1-1 or go to the emergency department at the hospital. ZSFG emergency department is at 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco (enter from 22nd street).
Urgent Care
Urgent care is available if your client has an injury or illness requiring immediate care, but not serious enough to require an emergency room visit. For up-to-date information on hours and locations:
Medical Clinics & Services
Here is a list of the medical clinics and services at ZSFG, with links to more information on their service offerings, hours and intake protocols.
Duration / Time
Duration of care and wait times can vary based on the patient load, and what procedures are being done.
Amenities
- Information on public transit, shuttles, and parking information for ZSFG.
- The hospital cafe could be a good place to work, and eat while waiting for your client to receive care.
Before Your Visit
Assessment
- Type of Medical Need. If you can, assess the emergency of your client's current medical need before proceeding to ZSFG in order to determine the right location to bring your client.
- Medi-Cal Status. Always check to see if your client has Medi-Cal. If the situation is not an emergency, consider enrolling your client into Medi-Cal through HSA before the hospital visit.
Hospital Presumptive Eligibility. If your client does not have Medi-Cal, and they need to go to the hospital,they may still be eligible for Hospital Presumptive Eligibility (HPE). The HPE Program provides qualified individuals immediate access to temporary, no-cost Medi-Cal for up to two months, until they enroll into full scope Medi-Cal. During your client's visit to the hospital, a 2908 Senior Eligibility Worker will submit your client's information, in order for the HPE qualification to be determined in real-time.
HPE Qualification Criteria. California residents 19 through 64 years of age, who have low or no income, who are not pregnant, not enrolled in Medi-Cal or Medicare, are eligible for one HPE enrollment period within the 12 months. Here are some FAQs on HPE, including information on the eligibility criteria.
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Following their hospital visit, homeless clients that have been approved for HPE may not prioritize enrollment for full scope Medi-Cal, and eventually get denied for HPE if they end up at the hospital again within the same year. Your guidance and involvement is key for making sure that they complete the Medi-Cal enrollment process through HSA.
- If Not Eligibile for HPE. The eligibility workers at ZSFG can determine your client's eligibility for other programs , and can help them apply for programs that can provide the right coverage, including Healthy San Francisco. Being denied for HPE does not mean getting denied for Medi-Cal.
- Eligibility and Enrollment Office
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center
1001 Potrero Ave. Building 20, 4th Floor, Room 1523
Mon-Fri: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Call (415) 206-8448 for questions or to make an appointment
Appointments: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Drop-in hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Phone: (415) 206-7800 - Patient Financial Services
Following their hospital visit, homeless clients that have been approved for HPE may not prioritize enrollment for full scope Medi-Cal, and eventually get denied for HPE if they end up at the hospital again within the same year. Your guidance and involvement is key for making sure that they complete the Medi-Cal enrollment process through HSA.
[info] NAVIGATOR TIP
If your client applies to Medi-Cal following their hospital visit, their healthcare costs going 3 months back application could still be covered. To obtain coverage for these costs, individuals must apply for full scope Medi-Cal, and mark the box that indicates the individual has medical expenses in the last three months and needs help to pay. They would be expected to also submit MC 210 A - Supplement to Statement of Facts for Retroactive Coverage/Restoration to HSA.
- Required Information and Documents
- To Receive Care. If your client has Medi-Cal, then their Medi-Cal card would be helpful for faster processing, but it is not a requirement. Moreover, even if your client does not have insurance, they would still be seen at ZSFG. The hospital accepts walk-ins, and treat patients regardless of their ability to pay.
- For HPE Application. No documentation is needed. Although it is highly recommended that a Social Security number is provided, the SSN is optional on the HPE Medi-Cal Application (DHCS 7022). The HPE determination is based on the applicant’s self-attestation of income, household size, and state residency.
During Your Visit
Steps (Emergency Room)
- Have the client get to the hospital. If you have a client that needs emergency care, call 9-1-1, or go to the emergency department at the nearest hospital.
- Hospital admits the client, and the client receives treatment. If the client is stable, they will be asked their name, date of birth, SSN (if known), isurance status, income information, and whether they have they been to ZSFG before. If it is a critical situation, clients always receive treatment first. If your client is in an altered mental state, your knowledge on the client's identity could be helpful in the admissions process.
2903 Hospital Eligibility Worker (2903 HEW) meets the client. The worker will verify the information, and collect any missing information by meeting the client bedside, and refer them to a 2908 Senior Eligibility Worker for HPE enrollment if the client is uninsured.
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If intake volume is heavy, your client may be approached by the 2908 SEW directly.
2908 Senior Eligibility Worker (2908 SEW) speaks with the client.
This time, 2908 SEW will re- verify the collected information by meeting the client bedside, and collect any missing information for the HPE application.- Wait for the HPE enrollment response.
2908 SEW will go back to their office to submit the HPE enrollment application, and print out the response. The worker will receive the HPE determination in real-time after the client information is entered into the HPE Application Web Portal. - Meet with 2908 SEW once again.
The worker will deliver the news on the HPE enrollment response. a. If the client is approved for HPE, the worker will give them a temporary paper benefits identification card (BIC) to sign and use immediately to receive temporary covered Medi-Cal services such as, doctor visits, hospital care, and som prescription drugs.
After Your Visit
- The HPE enrollment period begins on the date the individual is determined eligible for HPE, which is the day the HPE Medi-Cal Application is submitted via the online portal. Following their hospital visit:
- If your client does not apply for full scope Medi-Cal, the HPE period will end on the last day of the following month in which they were approved for PE. For example, if approved for HPE coverage on July 3, HPE coverage ends on the last day of August.
- If your client does apply for full scope Medi-Cal, their HPE period for Medi-Cal coverage will end on the day in which the eligibility determination was made (approved or denied). For example, if approved for HPE coverage on July 3, and the insurance affordability application eligibility determination was made on August 25, HPE coverage ends on August 25.
- To obtain coverage prior to the HPE start date, individuals must apply for full scope Medi-Cal, and mark the box that indicates the individual has medical expenses in the last three months and needs help to pay.