Timely access to care

Check out the charts below to plan ahead.

Appointment wait times

Rescheduling appointments

If your appointment requires rescheduling, it shall be promptly rescheduled in a manner that is appropriate to your health care needs and continuity of care, consistent with good professional practice.

Extended wait times

Your wait time for an appointment may be extended if your health care provider has determined and noted in your record that the longer wait time will not be detrimental for your health.

Advance scheduling

Your appointments for preventive and periodic follow-up care services (e.g. standing referrals to specialists for chronic conditions, periodic visits to monitor and treat pregnancy, cardiac, or mental health conditions, and laboratory and radiological monitoring for recurrence of disease) may be scheduled in advance, consistent with professionally recognized standards of practice.

Telephone wait times

After-Hours

Your provider is required to have an answering service or a telephone answering machine during nonbusiness after-hours. These services must provide direction telling you how to obtain urgent or emergency care and, if applicable, how you can contact an on-call provider for screening or urgent or emergency care as appropriate.

Interpreter services at scheduled appointments

Sharp Health Plan provides free interpreter services at scheduled appointments for members whose primary language is not English. For language interpreter services, please call Customer Care at 1-800-359-2002. The hearing and speech impaired may dial 7-1-1 or use California’s Relay Service’s toll-free numbers to contact us:

• 1-800-735-2922 Voice
• 1-800-735-2929 TTY
• 1-800-855-3000 Voz en español y TTY (teléfono de texto)

You must make requests for face-to-face interpreting services at least five (5) business days prior to the appointment date. Coordination of interpreter services shall not impose delays on the scheduling of your appointment. In the event that an interpreter is unavailable for face-to-face interpreting, Customer Care can arrange for telephone interpreting services.