time of deposit and can be withdrawn without penalty at
any time, provided they’re used to pay medical expenses.
Best of all, unlike with a flexible spending account, the
funds roll over and accumulate year to year if not spent.
Coming to Terms
You don’t normally pay sticker price at a car dealership —
and you don’t necessarily have to when it comes to medical
bills. Most doctors spend thousands of dollars each year
hiring collection agencies to recoup losses from unpaid
bills. That’s a huge cost they’d rather not have to deal with.
Likewise, when you pay by credit card, the doctor incurs
processing fees it’s in his best interest to avoid. So if you
offer to pay in cash up front or within 30 days you can
often negotiate a better deal. And if the fee is a financial
hardship, let the billing department know; most practices
would rather get partial payment than send someone to
collection. “If Warren Buffett asks for a discount, he’s not
likely to get one,” says Gelb. “But if you’re in difficult circumstances, explain this, and often they’ll work with you.”
A Prescription for Savings
The nearest pharmacy may be right around the corner, but if it’s a Walgreens, you could be paying more
than you need to. A cost comparison by Consumers’
Checkbook, a nonprofit consumer watchdog group,
revealed retail prices 6 percent higher than average at this drugstore chain. So where can you go
to save? Well, it turns out Walmart, Target and
Costco offer good deals on drugs as well as toilet
paper and toothpaste. In fact, Costco, the lowest-priced source in the survey, sold its prescriptions
for 47 percent less than the highest-charging store.
If you take certain prescription drugs regularly,
mail order may offer even better discounts than
the big-box retailers. Consumers’ Checkbook
research has found that familymeds.com and
AARP Pharmacy Service are your best bet for cutting costs. D. M. D.
PATHOLOGY
PAUL WASSERSTEIN
Paul Wasserstein, MD
1615 Hill Rd, Ste C
Novato • 415.898.7649
PEDIATRIC BIOFEEDBACK
RUBY NG
California Pacific Medical Center
3700 California St, Ste B555
San Francisco • 415.600.0750
PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY
SCOTT SOIFER
UCSF Medical Center
505 Parnassus Ave, Moffitt
San Francisco • 415.476.5153
PAUL S TANGER
UCSF Medical Center
505 Parnassus Ave, Moffitt
San Francisco • 415.353.9350
NIKOLA TEDE
Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation
3700 California St, Ste B555
San Francisco • 415.600.0770
DAVID TEITEL
UCSF Medical Center
505 Parnassus Ave, Moffitt
San Francisco • 415.353.4140
PEDIATRIC
CRITICAL CARE
JEFFERY FINEMAN
UCSF Medical Center
505 Parnassus Ave, 6th Floor
San Francisco • 415.476.5153
LORRY FRANKEL
Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation
3700 California St
San Francisco • 415.600.0749
SANDRIJN VAN SCHAIK
UCSF Medical Center
505 Parnassus Ave, 6th Floor
San Francisco • 415.476.5153
PEDIATRIC
DEVELOPMENTAL
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
BARBARA BENNETT
Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation
- Kalmanovitz Child
Development Center
1625 Van Ness, 3rd Floor
San Francisco • 415.600.6200
PEDIATRIC
ENDOCRINOLOGY
SURUCHI BHATIA
Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation
3700 California St, Ste B555
San Francisco • 415.600.0750
STEPHEN GI TELMAN
UCSF Medical Center
400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor
San Francisco • 415.353.7337
STEPHEN ROSEN THAL
UCSF Medical Center
400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor
San Francisco • 415.353.7337
PEDIATRIC
GASTROENTEROLOGY
MELVIN HEYMAN
UCSF Medical Center
400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor
San Francisco • 415.353.2813
SUE RHEE
UCSF Medical Center
400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor
San Francisco • 415.353.2000
PEDIATRIC
HEMATOLOGY/
ONCOLOGY
ARTHUR ABLIN
UCSF Medical Center
400 Parnassus Ave, 1st Floor
San Francisco • 415.476.4901
MICHELLE HERMIS TON
UCSF Medical Center
400 Parnassus Ave, 1st Floor
San Francisco • 415.476.4901
PEDIATRIC HOSPITALIST
DIVA SEDDICK
Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation
3555 Cesar Chavez St
San Francisco • 415.641.6650
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS
DISEASE
PEGGY WEIN TRUB
UCSF Medical Center
400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor
San Francisco • 415.353.2813
PEDIATRIC
NEUROSURGERY
NALIN GUPTA
UCSF Medical Center
400 Parnassus Ave
San Francisco • 415.353.2383
PEDIATRIC
OTOLARYNGOLOGY
ANNA MEYER
UCSF Pediatric Otolaryngology
2330 Post St, 3rd Floor
San Francisco • 415.353.2757
KRISTINA ROSBE
UCSF Pediatric Otolaryngology
2330 Post St, 3rd Floor
San Francisco • 415.353.9385
PEDIATRIC
RHEUMATOLOGY
EMILY VON SCHEVEN
UCSF Medical Center
400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor
San Francisco • 415.353.7337
PEDIATRICS
EILEEN AICARDI
Golden Gate Pediatrics
3641 California St
San Francisco • 415.668.0888
ANJULI BASU
Prima Medical Group
100-A Drakes Landing Rd, Ste 225
Greenbrae • 415.924.1214
RACHEL BAUER
Prima Medical Group
655 Redwood Hwy, Ste 216
Mill Valley • 415.383.3500
JULIE BOKSER
Tamalpais Pediatrics
599 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ste 102
Greenbrae • 415.461.0440
NELSON BRANCO
Tamalpais Pediatrics
599 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ste 102
Greenbrae • 415.461.0440
MICHAEL CABANA
UCSF Medical Center
400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor
San Francisco • 415.353.2000
