Compare 19 sports medicine physicians in San Francisco, CA. Check ratings, insurance, and availability.
19
Sports Medicine Physicians
100%
Accepting patients
74%
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 19 sports medicine physicians. The most common credential is MD (74%). 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 includes a detailed history of your injury, activity level, and training habits. The doctor will perform a focused musculoskeletal exam, testing range of motion, strength, and stability of the affected area. They may use in-office ultrasound for real-time imaging. Treatment plans often combine physical therapy, targeted exercises, injection options (corticosteroid, PRP), and graduated return-to-activity protocols.
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 sports medicine doctor for sprains, strains, tendinitis, overuse injuries, stress fractures, concussions, exercise-related knee or shoulder pain, hip pain from running or cycling, back pain related to activity, and guidance on returning to exercise after injury or surgery. They are also a good resource for exercise prescription if you have chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or obesity.
Office visit copay: $30-75 · In-office ultrasound: included in visit or $100-300 · Corticosteroid injection: $100-300 · MRI: $500-3,000
San Francisco, CA has 19 licensed sports medicine physicians. 100% are currently accepting new patients, so finding an available provider should be straightforward.
Yes. 100% of sports medicine physicians 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. In-office ultrasound may be included or cost $100 to $300. A corticosteroid injection costs $100 to $300. An MRI runs $500 to $3,000. Actual costs in San Francisco, CA depend on the provider and your insurance plan. PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections are generally not covered by insurance and cost $500 to $2,000 out of pocket. Standard corticosteroid injections are covered. Ask about evidence and expected outcomes before choosing between options.
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.
MD stands for Doctor of Medicine and DO stands for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Both are equivalent qualifications. In San Francisco, CA, 74% hold the MD credential and 11% hold DO. The difference is in training pathway, not quality of care.
58% of sports medicine physicians in San Francisco, CA accept Medicare. Medicare covers sports medicine visits for medically necessary musculoskeletal conditions. Physical therapy and imaging are covered with standard cost-sharing. You can filter for Medicare-accepting providers on FindClarity.
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, molina, qhp-54192, and qhp-44228.
Sports medicine visits are covered as specialist visits under medical insurance. Physical therapy referrals are typically covered with visit caps. Imaging (MRI, ultrasound) may require prior authorization. PRP and regenerative injections are generally not covered by insurance and cost $500 to $2,000 per injection out of pocket. Standard corticosteroid injections are covered.