Compare 84 physiatrists (pm&r) in San Francisco, CA. Check ratings, insurance, and availability.
84
Physiatrists (PM&R)
100%
Accepting patients
63%
Most common: MD
Ranked by Clarity Score, based on profile detail, verification, and patient activity.
San Francisco punches well above its weight in healthcare. UCSF is a top-10 national hospital, and the city's 95%+ insurance coverage rate is among the highest anywhere. The tradeoff is cost: provider fees here reflect the city's overall cost of living, and even insured patients can face significant out-of-pocket expenses.
San Francisco has 84 physiatrists (pm&r). The most common credential is MD (63%). 100% are currently accepting new patients.
SF is compact enough that most residents are within 20 minutes of a major hospital. UCSF's two main campuses (Parnassus and Mission Bay) anchor the western and eastern halves of the city. California Pacific Medical Center on Van Ness serves the northern neighborhoods. Muni and BART make car-free healthcare access genuinely possible here, which is unusual for a US city.
Providers practice throughout San Francisco. Mission District is a vibrant, diverse neighborhood with community health centers serving a large Latino population. Pacific Heights is an affluent neighborhood with concierge practices and proximity to CPMC and UCSF. SoMa is the South of Market area is close to Zuckerberg SF General, a Level I trauma center. Castro is a historic LGBTQ+ neighborhood with strong affirming care options and community clinics.
Nearby hospitals include UCSF Medical Center, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, and California Pacific Medical Center. Local training programs run through University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and University of San Francisco. UCSF Medical Center is among the top 10 hospitals in the nation, specializing in cancer and neurology.
The first visit lasts 45 to 60 minutes. The physiatrist will assess your physical function, strength, flexibility, neurological status, and daily activity limitations. They take a comprehensive history including your injury, prior treatments, and functional goals. The evaluation often includes hands-on testing of specific movements and reflexes. The treatment plan is goal-oriented: what do you want to be able to do? From there, they coordinate therapies, prescribe medications, and may perform diagnostic or therapeutic injections.
Many SF primary care practices are panel-closed, meaning they aren't accepting new patients. If you're new to the city, try UCSF's primary care network or One Medical (now part of Amazon), which has multiple SF locations and shorter wait times.
See a physiatrist for rehabilitation after stroke, spinal cord injury, or brain injury, for chronic musculoskeletal pain (back, neck, joint), for disability evaluation and management, for post-amputation care and prosthetic optimization, for nerve and muscle conditions (carpal tunnel, neuropathy), and for return-to-work or return-to-activity planning after any significant injury or surgery.
Office visit copay: $30-75 · EMG/nerve conduction study: $500-1,500 · Joint injection: $100-500 · Inpatient rehab: $1,500-3,000/day
San Francisco, CA has 84 licensed physiatrists (pm&r). 100% are currently accepting new patients, so finding an available provider should be straightforward.
Yes. 100% of physiatrists (pm&r) in San Francisco, CA are currently accepting new patients. You can filter your search on FindClarity to show only providers who are taking new patients.
SF has Healthy San Francisco, a city program that provides basic healthcare access for uninsured residents regardless of immigration status. For employer coverage, Kaiser, Blue Shield, and Anthem are the most common carriers. Medi-Cal managed care runs through SF Health Plan. Covered California participation is strong.
An office visit copay is $30 to $75. An EMG/nerve conduction study costs $500 to $1,500. A joint injection runs $100 to $500. Inpatient rehab costs $1,500 to $3,000 per day. Actual costs in San Francisco, CA depend on the provider and your insurance plan. Inpatient rehabilitation stays are typically covered by insurance but may have limits on the number of days. Outpatient therapy (PT, OT, speech) has annual visit caps under many plans. Verify your benefits early in the rehabilitation process.
In San Francisco, the main healthcare systems are UCSF Health (academic, highly specialized), Sutter/CPMC (broad community coverage across four campuses), Kaiser Permanente (closed network with its own facilities on Geary), and Zuckerberg SF General (the city's public safety-net hospital). Your insurance plan will often determine which system you use.
35% of physiatrists (pm&r) in San Francisco, CA accept Medicare. Medicare covers physiatry visits, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient therapy services. EMG and nerve conduction studies are covered when medically indicated. Durable medical equipment (braces, wheelchairs) is covered under Part B. You can filter for Medicare-accepting providers on FindClarity.
Some physiatrists (pm&r) in San Francisco, CA accept Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program. Medicaid covers physical medicine and rehabilitation services in all states. Inpatient rehab, therapy services, and durable medical equipment are standard benefits. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm Medi-Cal participation before scheduling.
Healthy San Francisco is a city-funded program that provides healthcare access to uninsured San Francisco residents, including undocumented immigrants. It covers primary care, prescriptions, and hospital visits through the SF Department of Public Health network. It's not insurance, but it fills a real gap for residents who don't qualify for other coverage.
Many SF primary care panels are full, especially in popular neighborhoods like the Marina, Pacific Heights, and Noe Valley. UCSF and Sutter/CPMC periodically open new patient slots. One Medical and Carbon Health offer membership-based primary care with same-day availability. Community health centers also accept new patients on a rolling basis.
Top accepted carriers in San Francisco, CA include unitedhealthcare, medicare, centene, qhp-33602, and qhp-32225.
Physiatry visits are covered as specialist visits under medical insurance. Rehabilitation services (physical therapy, occupational therapy) are covered with standard copays and visit limits. EMG/nerve conduction studies ordered by a physiatrist are covered when medically indicated. Inpatient rehabilitation for stroke, brain injury, or spinal cord injury is covered under medical and Medicare benefits.