Urgent Dermatology Care
Have an Urgent Dermatology Issue? Need to be seen today?
At San Diego Family Dermatology, we offer same-day appointments for all urgent cases. Whenever possible, we prefer you are seen by a skin expert to avoid crowded emergency rooms and urgent care centers.
Please call or text our office and let our team know you have an urgent issue, and you will be scheduled the same day (Monday – Friday). You can also walk in; however, you may experience a wait if you do not call ahead.
Insurance & Out-of-Pocket Considerations
Although we are more than happy to see any patient on a same-day basis, not all insurance plans will reimburse our clinic without prior authorization. In those cases, you have the option to pay out-of-pocket in order to be seen immediately.
- We offer a competitive cash rate for new patient office visits mapped to the Medicare fee schedule.
- If necessary, additional clinical procedures (such as skin biopsies) may incur further costs, also following the Medicare fee schedule.
- We offer a sliding scale discount program based on household income.
- If you pay out-of-pocket and your insurance provider subsequently retroactively approves and pays for the visit, you will be fully reimbursed.
If you are unsure if your network requires a referral or prior authorization, please call or text our office or contact your insurance company directly.
Examples of Urgent Issues Include:
- Sudden breakout of an acute rash
- Active bacterial, fungal, or viral infection of the skin
- Cutaneous abscesses or boils
- Severe, sudden worsening of a chronic skin condition
- Adverse reaction to a medication
- Severe Contact Dermatitis (Poison Ivy, Oak, or acute irritants)
- Blistering skin rashes
- Shingles (Herpes Zoster) breakouts
- Extreme, unmanageable itch that prevents sleep
Insurance Network Reference
Please review the breakdowns below for common local insurance requirements:
Insurances that DO NOT require an authorization (will reimburse directly):
- Medicare
- Medicare / Medi-Cal crossovers
- Community Health Group (Note: New patients require an initial referral)
- Most standard PPO plans (Please call our team to verify your specific group layout)
- Tricare Select
- Molina (Note: New patients require an initial referral)
Insurances that DO require prior authorization (cash payment required without an approved waiver):
- Blue Shield Promise
- Blue Shield HMO (Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze plans)
- Community Care IPA
- Health Excel
- Imperial Health Holdings
- Integrated Health Partners
- Mercy Physicians Medical Group
- Mid-County Physicians Group
- Tricare Prime
- Prime Healthcare / Keenan
- United Physicians International
- Vantage
*We are constantly working with these insurance groups and IPAs to establish easier, expedited urgent care pathways for our patient community.