Frequently Asked Questions


In this section, we have provided answers to some commonly asked questions.



  1. Are you accepting new patients?
  2. Where are you located?
  3. How do I get in contact with Dr. Yu or Dr. Chan?
  4. What is your fax number?
  5. What should I expect on my first visit?
  6. What kind of insurances do you accept?
  7. What is the difference between HMO and PPO insurances?
  8. What is a Primary Care Physician (PCP)?
  9. What is a specialist and how do I see one?
  10. What is a D.O. or Doctor of Osteopathics?
  11. What is an N.P. or Nurse Practitioner?
  12. What is an EMR (Electronic Medical Record) and are EMRs secure?
  13. How soon can I get an appointment and how do I make one?
  14. What is the difference between a regular appointment and a History & Physical appointment?
  15. Do you have a female doctor?
  16. How many practitioners do you have? Can I get a description of the practitioners?
  17. What are your hours?
  18. Do you have any other locations?
  19. How can I get a blood test or other type of test?
  20. How can I get a prescription for medicine?
  21. How do I get a referral?
  22. How do I change doctors?
  23. I received a bill from GPMA. What is it for?
  24. I need to know more!!



  1. Are you accepting new patients?

    Of course! Both Dr. Yu and Dr. Liu are currently accepting new patients. Please check with your insurance to make sure our doctors are in your plan. If you do not have a PPO plan, you will need to change your PCP before you can be seen. To learn more about changing doctors, click here.


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  2. Where are you located?

    We are on Noriega Street between 21st and 22nd Ave. We are in the middle of the block and located on the ground floor. There is no room or suite number. To get our actual address or directions, click here.


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  3. How do I get in contact with Dr. Yu or Dr. Chan?

    The best way is to call us at our office number: 415.759.3777, and one of our staff will be more than happy to assist you. You can also drop by our office or send us mail via our contact information. We currently do not accept e-mails.


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  4. What is your fax number?

    Our fax number is 415.759.6368. If you need more contact information, click here.


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  5. What should I expect on my first visit?

    To find out what a typical office visit is like, try our What to Expect Page or click here to get in touch with us directly.

    There are also different types of appointments. To find out more about those, click here or contact us.


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  6. What kind of insurances do you accept?

    We accept almost all local insurances, HMO, PPO, or EPO. Click here to see a full list. Remember, it is ultimately the patient's responsibility to confirm coverage, so if you are not sure, contact your insurance company or agent! We do NOT accept worker's compensation or auto insurances. If you plan on using these types of plans, be prepared to pay upfront first and we sill give you a superbill so that you can submit a claim with the proper company. You should speak to your employment company or auto insurance carrier to confirm the acceptable process.


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  7. What is the difference between HMO and PPO insurances?

    Though there are many insurance plans, the most common types of insurances are HMO and PPOs. The main difference between the two is that HMO insurances require a PCP while PPO insurances allow you to see any doctors within their network, and sometimes even out of network. HMO insurance carriers require referrals to see any doctors (including specialists) aside from the designated PCP. HMO insurances are recommended for patients with chronic illnesses who need consistent monitoring. PPO are recommended for those who wish for more freedom in which doctor or specialist they want to see. Both plans vary widely in price. Speak to your insurance agent or carrier for further information. Grace Pacific Medical Associates accepts both HMO and PPO plans, and also some EPO plans. Feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.


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  8. What is a Primary Care Physician (PCP)?

    A PCP is either a family practice or internal medicine provider, usually allocated by your insurance. If you have an HMO insurance, you may have only one of these at a time (though you always have the option to switch PCPs) and you will need a referral from your PCP to see any specialists. To learn more about that click here or contact us.


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  9. What is a specialist and how do I see one?

    A specialist is a doctor who specializes in a certain area of medicine. There are many types, specializing in everything from hearts to vision. To see a specialist, you typically need to be evaluated by your PCP first. If your PCP decides that it is necessary to send you to a specialist, you will receive a referral. If you know which specialist you prefer to see, our doctors will do their best to accomodate you. Please understand, however, that if the type of specialist is not appropriate to your situation, the doctor may recommend something else. Also, please note that referrals are recommended but not necessary for people who have PPO insurances.

    We have one specialist available on location at GPMA: Dr. Kevin Man. Dr. Man is a gastroenterologist, specializing in the digestive system. You will need a referral to see him. At our location, we will be able to translate into Chinese for you. Please call us for scheduling or further information.


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  10. What is a D.O. or Doctor of Osteopathics?

    Please take a look at our brochure "What is the Osteopathic Physician and Surgeon?" If you still have further questions, give us a call and our staff will be happy to help.


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  11. What is an N.P. or Nurse Practitioner?

    Please take a look at our brochure "What is a Nurse Practitioner?" If this doesn't answer your question, feel free to call us.


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  12. What is an EMR (Electronic Medical Record) and are EMRs secure?

    EMR stands for Electronic Medical Records. They are a digital version of patient files. They are absolutely secure, kept on heavily encrypted servers, and cannot be accessed without passwords. Confidentiality and security are of utmost importance at Grace Pacific Medical Associates. No one but our doctors and staff have access. Because your files are stored on both local and off-location servers, they cannot be lost or tampered with. At GPMA, we always make sure that you get the best technology has to offer. If you have any concerns, please feel free to contact us.


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  13. How soon can I get an appointment and how do I make one?

    We recommend calling us to get an appointment. Click here for our contact information. Upon answering your call, our trained medical assistants will triage your situation. If must see a doctor urgently, we will make sure you get an appointment the same day. History & Physical appointments are NOT considered urgent. These are very thorough exams done when you are healthy and require anywhere between 30 minutes and one hour. Because of the large time slot necessary and because they are not urgent, H&Ps are typically scheduled within two weeks or later. If you have an urgent situation, we will see you for that matter and schedule a separate H&P appointment for you.


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  14. What is the difference between a regular appointment and a History & Physical appointment?

    We have a number of different type of office visits at Grace Pacific Medical Associates. The most common appointment types are appointments for an illness or a follow-up appointment, and the History & Physical appointment. The former is usually approximately a 15 minute visit with the sole purpose of addressing a new or existing problem such as cold symptoms or diabetes or high blood pressure or cholesterol. These appointments occur as often as is recommended by your physician. An H&P exam is a very thorough all-around exam that lasts between 30 minutes (if you are an existing patient) or one hour (if you are a new patient). You will be asked to change, and the doctor will research your family history and perform a full body inspection. These exams should be done when you are healthy and are only necessary once a year. If any problems are discovered, appropriate actions such as scheduling a follow-up appointment, prescribing medicine, or referral to a specialist will be taken.


    You can find out more about what services we offer by going to our Services page.


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  15. Do you have a female doctor?

    We have a female practitioner, Tammy Lee, NP, available on some Saturdays. To learn more about her, please click here.


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  16. How many practitioners do you have? Can I get a description of the ?

    We currently have four practitioners: Dr. Hans Yu, Dr. Edmond Liu, Tammy Lee, NP, and Dr. Kevin Man. To learn more about each doctor, please click here.


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  17. What are your hours?

    We are open between 9:30am and 5:30pm Mondays through Fridays, and we close for lunch between 12:00pm and 1:30pm. We are also open on some evenings and some Saturdays. Please call us for further information.


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  18. Do you have any other locations?

    No, not yet. Currently our only location is 1431 Noriega St. You can find our mailing address by clicking here.


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  19. How can I get a blood test or other type of test?

    While there are some standing blood tests, you typically need an appointment to see the doctor in order to get tests such as labs, x-rays, ultrasounds, or CTs. Exceptions include existent patients with chronic illnesses who need regular checks. These patients may call our office to request the form, and we will have it ready for pick-up. For those who have already had a form, but have lost it, please call us and we will assist you in getting a replacement form.

    To learn more about what kind of orders for tests we offer, please take a look at our Services section.


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  20. How can I get a prescription for medicine?

    If you take a certain prescription regularly, the fastest way to renew that prescription is to call your pharmacy and have them contact us. If you need a new prescription for a condition that we do not know about, you will need an appointment first. For common prescriptions such as allergy or cold medications, please contact our office.

    If you would like to learn more about prescriptions, try our Services section.


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  21. How do I get a referral?

    If it is your first time and we do not know why you need the referral, you will need to call us to schedule an appointment. If your condition is chronic or you have already had an office visit for it, call our office and our staff will ask one of our doctors to write you a referral if it is warranted. If the referral is for a follow-up for a specialist you see regularly, you can call us directly to have us write you a new one, or have the specialist office call for a faxed referral.

    If you do not know what a referral is, there is a description in our Services section.
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  22. How do I change doctors?

    You will need to call your insurance agent or insurance company and let them know that you want to change doctors and whom you want to change to. Be aware that if you call after the first of the month, the effective date for the change is often the first of the following month. For example, if you call your insurance and ask to switch your PCP to Dr. Hans Yu on April 12th, the effective date will often be May 1st. For urgent matters, sometimes your insurance company will accomodate you, but you must discuss that with them directly. We highly recommend that you acquire your old records before coming to see the doctor, but if this is not possible, we can arrange for you to sign a release form at our office so that we can acquire your old records ourselves.


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  23. I received a bill from GPMA. What is it for?

    There are a number of reasons you may receive a bill from Grace Pacific Medical Associates.

    • If insurance does not cover the service rendered, the patient is responsible for payment. We will do our best to check for you so that this does not happen, but we do this as a courtesy and it is your responsibility to check. If you are not sure, call your insurance company or agent.
    • If your insurance has a deductible, or if it has only partial coverage for a service rendered, you are responsible for payment. Again, it is best to contact your insurance company or agent yourself to confirm coverage.
    • If you neglected to inform us of a raise in copay, we may bill you for the difference.
    • If you fail to give us 24 hours notice that you are unable to come to your scheduled appointment or need it changed, there may be a fee as the time slot can be given to someone in need. If you have an emergency, please let us know and our billing manager may waive the fee.
    • If you do not pay a bill, we charge an additional $5 billing fee for each time we have to send another bill.

    You may see a list of our fees by clicking here. If you do not believe that you are in deficit, please call our office and ask for the Biling Department.

  24. I need to know more!

    Please contact us! To go to our Contact page, click here.


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GracePacific MedicalAssociates