Care Practice

I’ve visited this office a few times, when I thought I had a UTI, turns out one time it was a UTI, he cured it, but the second time it wasn’t, even though I thought it was, but no it was rib cage pain! Dr. Blackledge identified the issue, gave me a support pad to put around my waist, some Tylenol because I rarely ever take pain medication, and 24 hours later, I felt better. His bedside manner is impeccable. Definitely my favorite doctor.

$ 260 for a prescription that i read out myself, and which was requested by my Chiropractor.
it took 5 minutes.
my lawyer is less expensive.
I was not even asked to check my Xrays. he barely touched my shoulder and that ended being a (quote) «detailed consultation»… I wonder what is the regular one definition.
sorry, but no…
i was asked to come on a saturday… but no one told me because it was saturday it would cost an extra $ 85… oups! surprise!!! i could have come any other days.
I will never come again. it was my 4^th time.

Reasonable rates? How can it be reasonable rates when they advertise introductory rates, and then jack up the price when you to go the receptionist to pay? Their website says «New patient visits start at $ 155 for Urgent Car3e» Right. So I’m a new patient. I go in on a weekday to see a doctor for a cold /​cough I’ve had for a week, with fever, sore throat, nasal congestion, suspecting that I might have a sinus infection. The doctor prescribed antibiotics, suggested Neti Pot, Sudafed, and taking pro biotics with the antibiotic, which I appreciated.
I finish my appointment, go to the receptionist, and am told the bill is $ 240. I had already asked about fees when I arrived, and the woman at the desk gave me a snippy answer «It depends on the complexity of your visit.» When I told her what the website said, she cut me short. So, I brought it up again when she presented the bill. She got snippy again, with attitude and clearly was not going to discuss it. I felt a Unilocal review coming on.
I won’t be going back. I was in a hurry to see a doctor same day, but was not impressed with this place at all. It seems unprofessional, and I did not feel like their offices were as clean as they could have been, or welcoming.

I highly recommend Care Practice. I’ve been using this practice for many years both for regular medical care and for urgent care. The rates are very reasonable given the high quality care of the doctors and the availability to go in on weekends and within the same day for urgent matters. They do not bill insurance, but they will give you a detailed receipt to submit to your insurance directly. When I had my previous insurance, my insurance covered 80% of the appointment fee. My new insurance has a high deductible, so my appointment fees won’t be reimbursed, but I can submit my receipts from my appointments at Care Practice to go towards the deductible.
The Mission location is great. It’s a fifteen minute walk from my home. Today, I was able to schedule an appointment online when I woke up with worsening cough and sinus symptoms. I was seen on a Sunday, no waiting, and had a thorough exam and treatment plan. This is a great example of the reason I recommend Care Practice. They really do live up to their name by providing high quality healthcare.

The doctor was OK, but they charged $ 340 to diagnose a simple ear infection that went away on its own??? They don’t take insurance (no insurance on their right mind would support them), and it is all about the $$$. Stay away.

The energy of this place was totally off the moment I went to the back with the doctor. First of all, I confirmed a price (or price range) over the phone and did so again at the receptionist desk. Once I got to the back, I told a completely different price because my problem wasn’t considered «urgent» and a regular doctor visit. I felt like the doctor wanted to push a bunch of tests just for more money. Nothing about the doctor’s actions seemed very genuine. It was a complete waste of my time and money. Never again.

Had a visit with Aaron Blackledge. Extremely knowledgeable and able to attack my problems on all fronts –very wholistic approach to the root of my issues (I came in for Pink eye). Very friendly and would definitely repeat a visit.
They were also able to get me in on a weekend and have me scheduled in within an hour.
The receptionist is also very friendly!

Great experience with same day appointments and a nice receptionist. I was about to start a new job but didn’t have insurance yet and I had an infected bug bite. I contacted this place and was able to see a doctor the same day. He was very nice and patient, as I was freaking out. The office has a relaxed yet professional vibe.

This review is specifically for Jessica the admin and Dr. Wardwell.
Where to begin, how about with absolute racket. Its funny that they call themselves Care, such a misnomer. They should just put «$ Care». At every interaction I’ve had with them, its been about more appts, more money, oh and by the way, THEY DON’T TAKE INSURANCE. Many of their fees might even be covered by your insurance, but they don’t want to do the paperwork.
So seeing how its out of pocket, I wanted to be very clear about the cost up front. By phone, they told me «$ 185 per visit, thats a discount since you found us on Unilocal.» They scheduled the visit for Saturday, the only day Doctor Wardwell was available. When I came in for the visit, I asked again to verify the price and the admin told me $ 240. I mentioned to her the discrepancy and she said, «oh, thats our weekday price, its more on the weekends». I mentioned the Unilocal discount and she said she could bring it down to $ 210. Ridiculous but I reasoned it was only $ 25 more.
I told her I knew the test I needed based on two other phone calls with Naturopathic doctors and didn’t want to waste Doctor Wardwell’s time without having the results first, which were a 3 week turnaround by an outside lab. Doctor Wardwell took me back to his office and instead of a quick 5 min chat, it turned in to 25min with the same result, he recommended the same damn test. I exit feeling cheated that I just did a visit for no reason and no progress. And here’s the kicker:
Admin: «Your total for today is $ 290″, she says with a straight face.
Me: $ 290!, why $ 290?»
Admin: «Its says here your visit was of medium complexity»
Me: «what does that even mean? Is that an actual line item, can I see it?»
Amin: «no»
Me: «a half hour ago when I came in you told me the visit would be $ 210»
Admin: «okay, I can bring it down to $ 240»
Me: «no, you told me $ 210»
Admin: «okay, $ 210»
I left with a sour taste to say the least.
3 weeks later she calls to tell me my results are in and wants to schedule an appt. Not wanting to return, I said I was feeling better and would call if the symptoms re-​surfaced. Two days later, another call from Care, «Dr. Wardwell would really like to discuss your results with you.» Me: «I thought I already told you what I wanted the other day». Admin: «Well, he would like me to send you the results»
I’m thinking perfect, then I can decide if I need a follow up visit.
Two days later
Admin: «Dr. Woodward is in the office today (sat) and would really like to either set up a visit or he can speak with you by phone»
Me: «I’m at the gym but can do a quick phone call in an hour»
She calls me back in an hour and says: «Hi, I have Dr. Wardwell right here, is this still a good time»
Me: «yes»
Admin: «ok, I’ll pass you right over. The call will be 175, is that okay?»
Me: «WHAT! $ 175 dollars? American? Definitely not!»
Admin: «oh, okay. Is money a problem?»
Me: «Yes, $ 175 for 5 — 10 mins is a problem, why didn’t you tell me this an hour ago when you called?»
Admin: «oh okay, I’ll tell Dr. Wardwell you don’t want to talk to him»
Absurd on so many levels. First that she didn’t tell me the price of the call beforehand and second that she made me feel like an ass for not wanting to pay a rate that is higher than any lawyer in SF. My two interactions with Care: 1^st one I was scammed, the 2^nd they tried to scam me again. Not kosher. In retrospect, any doctor who is right there and their patient says, yes money is an issue and doesn’t get on the phone to discuss for at least a couple mins, doesn’t give two shits about their patient and is purely money driven.
To sum it up: Maybe there are other good doctors at Care, but there are a lot of good docs in this town. If you don’t want to get totally fleeced and feel like a jackass for asking about the price of your out of pocket care, I would stay away.

Got in the same day & was treated promptly and professionally. The space was clean and modern, had a nice feel to it, and the doc I met with (don’t recall her name unfortunately — was about a year ago) was competent and pleasant. Pricing was reasonable, way affordable for medical care, considering I was uninsured at the time. If my current insurance covered it I’d go back anytime.

I didn’t have a primary care doctor, so I scheduled an appointment with Care Practice and saw Dr Aaron Blackledge. He asked a few questions and sleuth-​ed to the root of my problem. Now, 24 hours later, I am completely cured.
His bedside manner is exceptional and, although not important, his practice/​urgent care facility is modern, sleek, clean and is vibe-​er-​liciously positive ESPECIALLY when you compare it to the ancient turn-​of-​the-​century doctor’s offices I am used to in Union Square. I got my meds RIGHT THERE — meaning no painful and long pharmacy visit/​wait — and he just charged me for a regular doctors office visit instead of trying to pile-​on the codes and charges for my problem.
Words «integrity», «character», and «style» and come to mind when I think about my experience there. I am most def going to go back.

Exceptional service and atmosphere… plus Dr. Blackledge is the coolest. :)
I moved here from NYC a little over a year ago and was not satisfied with the other docs I went to in SF. Care Practice is top notch!

I was referred to Care Practice by a friend who was a patient of Dr. Blackledge, in the beginning I only went for urgent care, but it wasn’t long before I started going for primary care as well.
A lot of people don’t like the fact that they don’t take insurance, but it’s a trade off that works to everyone’s advantage in my opinion, since dealing with insurance issues slows down and complicates things. I’ve been going to Care Practice for almost a couple years now, and the first year I submitted my receipts to my insurance on my own, they provide all the paperwork to you, but I’m a relatively healthy young person, and aren’t even likely to reach my medical insurance deductible this year anyway, so why even bother submitting to insurance? If I were less healthy or needed lots of tests or surgery my situation would be different, but even still, the high quality of service, ease of making appointments, lack of endless time in a Kaiser waiting room for assembly line-​like visits where you spend most of the time with a PA or RN in the treatment room before the doctor pops in for 10 minutes… I could keep going, but the point is that I don’t stress about making a doctor’s appointment anymore, don’t need to schedule appointments weeks or months in advance, don’t need to take off a half day of work to sit in a waiting room, etc. Another great thing is that they stock a lot of common medications in the office, saving the patient another uncomfortable trip to the pharmacy and more waiting — the people who complain about the pricing just need to ask for a prescription, that’s what I do with the more expensive medications I want insurance to cover through Walgreens, but for more common and affordable drugs, that convenience can be priceless when you’re sick. Dr. Blackledge even responds to email — I’d never had a doctor before who did that.
I’ve also seen other doctors at the practice a few times, and it’s been a great experience. I was sick once on the weekend and my only options were to go to the emergency room (overboard at $ 1000+ and lots of waiting/​hassle) or grin and bear it until I could get a weekday appointment. Care Practice offered a third option and I was able to make an appointment on a Sunday and went to see Dr. Zaphiris. I had never seen her before and was a little anxious, but I was able to get in quickly and easily, it made me feel so much better it was totally worth the weekend pricing, still a fraction of the price of an emergency room with such better service — it’s always unfortunate to have a mini-​emergency like that, but Care Practice provides a better option than anywhere else I’ve been able to find.
And yes, like the other reviewers say it’s a hip, clean, well-​organized office with great staff and a relaxing atmosphere. It’s super easy to schedule appointments online too. A lot of the negative reviews are simply because they don’t take care of billing your insurance for you, but most people can still get 50−80% reimbursement for «out of network» providers, you just have to send the bill yourself. I also used my Flexible Spending Account dollars there last year, and then this year switched to a Health Savings Account (since I don’t hit my $ 1500 deductible anyway) and have used that to pay as well, they do take credit cards. My employer is required by law (San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance, see
) to contribute to a Medical Reimbursement Account, and I’ve submitted my Care Practice receipts to that as well, in the long run it honestly is not over-​priced for me, the value is undeniable for my situation and circumstances.
In my opinion, Care Practice is the way modern medical offices should be run, I’m dreading the day I move out of SF and go back to institutionalized care.

Really nice visit. Great atmosphere. Inexpensive and really nice receptionist. No insurance accepted though. Overall a properly organized practice. Definitely worth the visit!

I had such a positive experience here today. I am in San Francisco from out of town and also in a gap month between jobs and insurance. A hematoma from 3 months ago suddenly became very infected while I was here and I was in a total panic about going to an UR/​Urgent Care in a city I’m not familiar with without health insurance.
I was able to make an appointment within half an hour and be seen within the hour and left feeling taken care of and really relieved. I enjoyed the transparency of costs and it was so much more affordable than other care options.

Care Practice is like everyone else, flawed. That’s fine. It’s how we handle our flaws that defines us though, and at least one doctor who is a member of the Care Practice team has failed to live up to the first tenant of medicine: «do no harm».
Every experience I had with Care Practice tells me one thing: the administrative staff there really does seem to care. They were polite and respectful at all times, and tried their best to help me out as another human being. My hat is tipped in their direction.
But when two Care Practice physicians (who had very little experience seemingly) told me on my initial examination that I had a significant mid-​abdominal gastric mass that needed a CT scan (mmmm radiation!), I believed them. My condition could lead to that some day, yes. However, when the CT scan revealed specifically that there was no mass of any sort in my abdomen, it’s not like they pressed forward to see what the problem really was. They basically ignored me, ignored the fact that I had spent time and money on the scans, and ignored the fact that I could still be sick.
Okay, you wasted my time on the CT, put me through radiation, don’t you think the least you could do is try and figure out what’s actually wrong?
The bigger problem comes with «do no harm». One doctor at care practice had assumed the role of my Primary Care Physician… he had taken over two medical prescriptions I had been on for over a decade… and was prescribing them for me. Then, when I asked him to refill these prescriptions recently, he told me that he couldn’t unless I came in to see him — a lie, at least by AMA standards, and by the standards of some 10 other doctors who had prescribed this med for me before at the same dosage.
Right now, I’m not doing so well in the money department — every bit helps, and I’m about to be on Medical. I asked him to please just tide me over 30 days or even just two weeks until I could start seeing my Medical doctor. Ignoring the very dire warnings posted by the AMA, the Mayo Clinic, and every doctor before him I’ve talked to, he seemed unphased by the fact that I couldn’t afford to pay him to not go into medical withdrawl. He hung up knowing full well that his actions will cause me pain, suffering, and could lead to really severe side-​effects… all because he wanted some money from a person infinitely poorer than he is.
I hope he sleeps well tonight. I won’t be able to because of his lack of compassion. I’m sure I’ll be able to go to a hospital if necessary. More wasted time and money. Thanks Care Practice!
From the other reviews here, it seems Care Practice will treat you right if you have A) great insurance, or B) lots of money. Otherwise? Best be going someplace that cares about human beings who are still alive, rather than dead presidents.

I have mixed thoughts here.
I’d give them five starts for same day service and I can get in and out quickly.
However, last time I was there they prescribed me a homeopathic remedy for my injured finger.
Homeopathic remedies are snake oil and aren’t regulated by the FDA.
According to Wikipedia:
«The scientific community regards homeopathy as nonsense,[11] quackery[12][13][14] or a sham,[15] and homeopathic practice has been criticized as unethical.[16] The axioms of homeopathy are long refuted[17] and lack any biological plausibility.[18] Although some clinical trials produce positive results,[19][20] systematic reviews reveal that this is because of chance, flawed research methods, and reporting bias.[21][22][23][24] The postulated mechanisms of action of homeopathic remedies are not only scientifically implausible[21][25][26][27] but precluded by the laws of physics.[28]»
…
This seems like a major deal breaker and a violation of their hippocratic oath.
Specifically, by prescribing me a snake oil remedy, they’re doing harm as I would have been able to receive real and genuine medical treatment (as opposed to faux medical treatment via homeopathy).

So I had to come back for the second time in less than one week (separate medical problem). It was painless. In and out pretty quickly. I got antibiotics for a fever and cough I’ve been having for almost a week. My usual doctor wasn’t available so I went with the «no preference» option and got the founder of Care Practice.
He is straight up and says what is on his mind. He even made fun of the logo on my shirt. I could tell you what logo it is but I work for the company and I want to keep my job.
He quickly took my temp and realized I needed antibiotics. I was thinking about waiting a few more days to see if my fever got better, but I know by now better safe than sorry. I was able to get antibiotics and cough medicine on site so no extra trip to the pharmacy.
I love that I can make an appointment one day and then get in the next day. They even have same day appointment sometimes.
I am reserving my five star review for when CP has massage chairs or MTs in the waiting room and green juice freshly made from a Vitamix ;)

This is not a review of any individual as a Family Dr., but of the prices of the practice itself.
HARM REDUCTION PATIENTS BEWARE! Judging by the phone call I had, it is my opinion that this is a money maker. The entire interaction smacked of elitism and I was shocked at the price just to walk in (an entirely different price than that of a «regular» patient)
I am referring to a specific course of therapy they offer through the practice. I called on behalf of person I was in charge of setting up ORT for. The price is unnecessary and sickening, it really is. Exorbitant beyond belief. Clearly the folks who run this place must know that the people who most need their help can’t afford it. How could they not? They can say all they want how they offer a «holistic approach» to harm reduction and replacement therapy, when truly (if you’ve been around the block a few times), it is plain that this is a cash cow. Specifically CASH ONLY. That alone is bizarre.
So, if you all want to serve your community, you need to do your job and make it fairly priced. A sliding scale would be a start. No amount of smudge sticks and talk therapy can make me think otherwise. They found a need and are cashing in on it, at the highest price I’ve seen quoted anywhere, and jeez, the phone operator doesn’t have to be such a condescending dick about it. Keep looking.

*COUGH* When I got sick, I called my regular medical office to find that my doctor was on leave. I went searching for a new office that I could pay directly. Being that I am an avid Unilocaler, I searched and picked this place based on the review.
Just so happens you also get $ 50.00 off your office visit when you mention Unilocal.I scheduled an appointment online using the website and headed down to Care Practice.
So when I get there, it’s a beautifully decorated office with cool books on the table. I checked in and as soon as I settled in, my Doctor was calling. Sad to say, I’m really not used to fast service at a medical center before now.
I met with Dr. Vinh Ngo, who checked me out and spoke to me about my poor little cold and sore throat. He wrote me a prescription for the medicine he did not have, but the others he gave to me and charged me for them. I was impressed! You just saved me another 45 minutes waiting around in Walgreens.
I really enjoyed the visit. The Doctor was great, the receptionist was great. I was in and out with my medicine in less than 30 minutes and spend a total of $ 112.00 with my meds. How could one sick girl be happier than that?
Care Practice is a great alternative to paying the big bucks for medical insurance. I hardly get sick and paying $ 112.00 is way cheaper than most monthly plan preminums.